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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
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THE  NAVAL  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


UNITED  STATES 


BY 


WILLIS    J.   ABBOT 


TTClttb  flDans  f  Ilustrattons 


VOLUME  ONE 


NEW  YORK  : 
PETER   FENELON    COLLIER,  PUBLISHER. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

DA  VTC 


1886.   1887,   1888. 

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DODD,  MEAD 


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CONTENTS. 

THE  NAVAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

PART  I. 

BLUE  JACKETS  OF  '76. 


CHAPTER   I. 

EARLY  EXPLOITS  UPON  THE  WATER.  —  GALLOP'S  BATTLE  WITH  THE  INDIANS.  —  BUCCANEERS 
AND  PIRATES.  — MORGAN  AND  BLACKBEARD.  —  CAPT.  KIDD  TURNS  PIRATE. — DOWNFALL 
OF  THE  BUCCANEERS'  POWER 

CHAPTER   II. 

EXPEDITIONS  AGAINST  NEIGHBORING  COLONIES. —  ROMANTIC  CAREER  OF  SIR  WILLIAM 
PHIPPS.  —  QUELLING  A  MUTINY.  —  EXPEDITIONS  AGAINST  QUEBEC 

CHAPTER   III. 

OPENING  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION.  —  THE  AFFAIR  OF  THE  SCHOONER  "ST.  JOHN." 

—  THE  PRESS-GANG  AND  ITS  WORK.  —  THE  SLOOP  "LIBERTY."  —  DESTRUCTION  OF 
THE  "GASPEE."— THE  BOSTON  TEA-PARTY 

CHAPTER   IV. 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  NAVY.  —  LEXINGTON  AND  CONCORD.  —  A  BLOW  STRUCK  IN 
MAINE.  — CAPTURE  OF  THE  "  MARGARETTA."  —  GEN.  WASHINGTON  AND  THE  NAVY. 

—  WORK  OF  CAPT.  MANLY 

CHAPTER   V. 

EVENTS  OF  1776.  — THE  FIRST  CRUISE  OF  THE   REGULAR   NAVY.  —  THE  "LEXINGTON" 

AND  THE   "EDWARD."  — MUGFORD'S    BRAVE    FlGHT.— LOSS  OF  THE  "  YANKEE    HERO." 

—  CAPT.  MANLY,  AND  THE  "DEFENCE."  —  AMERICAN  VESSELS  IN  EUROPEAN  WATERS. 

—  GOOD    WORK    OF   THE    "LEXINGTON"    AND   THE   "REPRISAL,"  —  THE    BRITISH 
DEFEATED  AT  CHARLESTON 

iu 


iv  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  CAREER  OF  PAUL  JONES.  —  IN  COMMAND  OF  THE  "  PROVIDENCE."  —  CAPTURE  OF  THE 
"HELLISH."  —  EXPLOITS  WITH  THE  "ALFRED." — IN  COMMAND  OF  THE  "RANGER." 
—  SWEEPING  THE  ENGLISH  CHANNEL.  —  THE  DESCENT  UPON  WHITEHAVEN 

CHAPTER  VII. 

CAREER  OF  PAUL  JONES  CONTINUED.  —  His  DESCENT  UPON  THE  CASTLE  OF  LORD 
SELKIRK.  —  THE  AFFAIR  OF  THE  PLATE.  —  THE  DESCENT  UPON  WHITEHAVEN.  —  THE 
BATTLE  WITH  THE  "DRAKE."  —  LIEUT.  SIMPSON'S  PERFIDY 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CAREER  OF  PAUL  JONES  CONTINUED.  —  His  SEARCH  FOR  A  SHIP.  —  GIVEN  COMMAND  OF 

THE  "  BON  HOMME   RICHARD."  —  LANDAIS   AND   HIS   CHARACTER.  —  THE   FRUSTRATED 

MUTINY. —  LANDAIS  QUARRELS  WITH  JONES.  —  EDINBURGH  AND  LEITH  THREATENED. 

—  THE  DOMINIE'S  PRAYER 

CHAPTER   IX. 

CAREER  OF  PAUL  JONES  CONCLUDED.  —  THE  BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  "  BON  HOMME 
RICHARD"  AND  THE  "SERAPIS."  —  TREACHERY  OF  LANDAIS.  — JONES'S  GREAT  VICTORY. 

—  LANDAIS  STEALS  THE  "  ALLIANCE."  — JONES  IN  COMMAND  OF  THE  "ARIEL."  — THE 
"ARIEL"  IN  THE  STORM. —  ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA    ........ 

CHAPTER  X. 

CAREER  OF  NICHOLAS  BIDDLE.  —  His  EXPLOIT  AT  LEWISTON  JAIL.  —  CRUISE  IN  THE 
"RANDOLPH."  — BATTLE  WITH  THE  "YARMOUTH."  — THE  FATAL  EXPLOSION.  — SAMUEL 
TUCKER.  —  His  BOYHOOD.  —  ENCOUNTER  WITH  CORSAIRS.  —  CRUISING  IN  THE 
"FRANKLIN." — IN  COMMAND  OF  THE  "BOSTON."  —  ANECDOTES  OF  CAPT.  TUCKER  . 

CHAPTER  XI. 

HOSTILITIES  IN  1777.  —  AMERICAN  REVERSES.  —  THE  BRITISH  IN  PHILADELPHIA.  —  THE 
ATTACK  UPON  FORT  MIFFLIN.  —  CRUISE  OF  THE  "RALEIGH"  AND  THE  "ALFRED."  — 
TORPEDO  WARFARE.  —  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  KEGS 

CHAPTER   XII. 

NAVAL  EVENTS  OF  1778.  —  RECRUITING  FOR  THE  NAVY.  —  THE  DESCENT  UPON  NEW 
PROVIDENCE.  —  OPERATIONS  ON  THE  DELAWARE.  —  CAPT.  BARRY'S  EXPLOITS.  — 
DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  AMERICAN  FRIGATES. — AMERICAN  REVERSES. —  THE  CAPTURE 
OF  THE  "  PlGOT." — FRENCH  NAVAL  EXPLOITS 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

LAST  YEARS  OF  THE  WAR.  —  DISASTROUS  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PENOESCOT.  —  WHOLESALE 
CAPTURES  ON  THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  BANKS.  —  FRENCH  SHIPS  IN  AMERICAN  WATERS. 

—  TAKING  OF  CHARLESTON. — THE  "TRUMBULL'S"  VICTORY  AND   DEFEAT.  —  CAPT. 
BARRY  AND  THE  "ALLIANCE."— CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

WORK  OF  THE  PRIVATEERS.  —  THE  "GEN.  HANCOCK"  AND  THE  "LEVANT." — EXPLOITS 
OF  THE  "PICKERING" — THE  "REVENGE."  —  THE  "HOLKAR."  —  THE  "CONGRESS" 
AND  THE  "SAVAGE."  —  THE  "HYDER  ALI"  AND  THE  "GEN.  MONK." — THE  WHALE- 
BOAT  HOSTILITIES.  —  THE  "  OLD  JERSEY  "  PRISON-SHIP 

CHAPTER   XV. 

THE  NAVY  DISBANDED.  —  AGGRESSIONS  OF  BARBARY  CORSAIRS.  —A  DISGRACEFUL  TRIBUTE. 

—  BAINBRIDGE  AND  THE  DEY. —  GEN.  EATON  AT  TUNIS. —  A  SQUADRON  SENT  TO 
THE  MEDITERRANEAN.  —  DECATUR  AND   THE  SPANIARDS.  —  THE  "ENTERPRISE"  AND 
THE  "TRIPOLI."— AMERICAN  SLAVES  IN  ALGIERS 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

MORE  VIGOROUS  POLICY.  —  COMMODORE  MORRIS  SENT  TO  THE  MEDITERRANEAN.  — 
PORTER'S  CUTTING-OUT  EXPEDITION.  —  COMMODORE  PREBLE  SENT  TO  THE  MEDITER 
RANEAN. —  His  ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  BRITISH  MAN-OF-WAR.  —  THE  Loss  OF  THE 

"PHILADELPHIA."  —  DECATUR'S   DARING   ADVENTURE 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  STIRRING  YEAR.  —  THE  BOMBARDMENT  OF  TRIPOLI.  —  DECATUR'S  HAND-TO-HAND 
FIGHT.  —  LIEUT.  TRIPPE'S  BRAVERY.  —  LIEUT.  SPENCE'S  BOLD  DEED.  —  SOMERS'S 
NARROW  ESCAPE.— THE  FLOATING  MINE.  —  THE  FATAL  EXPLOSION.  —  CLOSE  OF 
THE  WAR.  —  THE  END  . 


PART  If. 

BLUE  JACKETS  OF   1812. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  GATHERING  OF  THE  WAR-CLOUD.  — THE  RESOLUTION  ENDED,  BUT  THE  WAR  FOR 
INDEPENDENCE  YET  UN  FOUGHT.  —  OUTRAGES  UPON  AMERICAN  SAILORS.  —  THE  RIGHT 
OF  SEARCH.  —  IMPRESSMENT.  —  BOYHOOD  OF  COMMODORE  PORTER.  —  EARLY  DAYS  OF 
COMMODORES  PERRY  AND  BARNEY.  — BURNING  A  PRIVATEER.  — THE  EMBARGO.  — WAR 
INEVITABLE 

CHAPTER   II. 

WAR  WITH  FRANCE.  —  THE  BUILDING  OF  A  NAVY.  —  FIRST  SUCCESS  FOR  THE  AMERICANS. 

—  CUTTING  OUT  THE  "SANDWICH."  —  THE  "CONSTELLATION  "  AND  "L/INSURGENTE." 

—  THE  "CONSTELLATION"  AND  "LA  VENGEANCE" 

CHAPTER   III. 

PROPOSED  REDUCTION  OF  THE  NAVY.  —  RENEWAL  OF  BRITISH  OUTRAGES.  —  THE  AFFAIR 
OF  THE  "BALTIMORE."  —  ATTACK  ON  THE  "LEANDER."  —  ENCOUNTER  BETWEEN  THE 
"CHESAPEAKE"  AND  "  LEOPARD."  —  THE  "PRESIDENT"  AND  "  LITTLE  BELT" 

CHAPTER   IV. 

THE  WAR  ON  THE  OCEAN.  —  COMMODORE  RODGERS'S  CRUISE.  —  THE  Loss  OF  THE  **  NAU 
TILUS." —  FIRST  SUCCESS  FOR  THE  BRITISH. — THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  "CONSTITUTION.- 
— THE  "  ESSEX  "  TAKES  THE  "  ALERT."  —THE  "  CONSTITUTION  "  AND  THE  "  GUERRIERE," 

CHAPTER   V. 

AN    INTERNATIONAL   DEBATE.  —  THE  "WASP"   AND   THE   "FROLIC.**  —  THE   "UNITED 

STATES"  AND  THE  "MACEDONIAN."  —  OVATIONS  TO  THE  VICTORS 

vi 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BAINBRIDGE  TAKES  COMMAND  OF  THE  "CONSTITUTION."— THE  DEFEAT  OF  THE  "  JAVA."  — 
CLOSE  OF  THE  YEAR'S  HOSTILITIES  ON  THE  OCEAN 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  WAR  ON  THE  LAKES.— THE  ATTACK  ON  SACKETT'S  HARBOR.— OLIVER  HAZARD 
PERRY  ORDERED  TO  LAKE  ERIE.— THE  BATTLE  OF  PUT-IN-BAY  .... 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

ON  THE  OCEAN.  — THE  "HORNET"  SINKS  THE  "PEACOCK."— THE  BLOCKADE.  — ADVEN 
TURES  OF  THE  "SALLY."  —  HOSTILITIES  ON  CHESAPEAKE  BAY.  —  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE 
"PRESIDENT" 

CHAPTER   IX. 

DECATUR  BLOCKADED  AT  NEW  YORK.  — ATTEMPTS  TO  ESCAPE  THROUGH  LONG  ISLAND 
SOUND. — THE  FLAG-SHIP  STRUCK  BY  LIGHTNING.  —  TORPEDOES.  —  FULTON'S  STEAM- 
FRIGATE.  —  ACTION  BETWEEN  THE  "CHESAPEAKE"  AND  "SHANNON"  . 

CHAPTER  X. 

CRUISE  OF  THE  "ESSEX."  —  A  RICH  PRIZE.  —  THE  MYSTERIOUS  LETTER.  —  CAPE  HORN 
ROUNDED.  —  CAPTURE  OF  A  PERUVIAN  PRIVATEER.  —  AMONG  THE  BRITISH  WHALERS. 

—  PORTER  IN  COMMAND  OF  A  SQUADRON.  —  A  BOY  COMMANDER. — THE  SQUADRON 

LAYS  UP  AT  NOOKAHEEVAH '      . 

CHAPTER  XI. 

WAR  WITH  THE  SAVAGES.  — THE  CAMPAIGN  AGAINST  THE  TYPEES.  —  DEPARTURE  FROM 
NOOKAHEEVAH.  —  THE  "  ESSEX  "  ANCHORS  AT  VALPARAISO.  —  ARRIVAL  OF  THE 
"PHCEBE"  AND  "CHERUB."  — THEY  CAPTURE  THE  " ESSEX."—  PORTER'S  ENCOUNTER 
WITH  THE  "SATURN." — THE  MUTINY  AT  NOOKAHEEVAH 

CHAPTER   XII. 

CAPTURE  OF  THE  "SURVEYOR." — WORK  OF  THE  GUNBOAT  FLOTILLA.  —  OPERATIONS  ON 
CHESAPEAKE  BAY.  — COCKBURN'S  DEPREDATIONS.  — CRUISE  OF  THE  "ARGUS."  — HER 
CAPTURE  BY  THE  " PELICAN."  —  BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  "ENTERPRISE"  AND  "BOXER." 

—  END  OF  THE  YEAR  1813  ON  THE  OCEAN 

CHAFFER  XIII. 

ON  THE  LAKES.  —  CLOSE  OF  HOSTILITIES  ON  LAKES  ERIE  AND  HURON.  —  DESULTORY 
WARFARE  ON  LAKE  ONTARIO  IN  1813.  — HOSTILITIES  ON  LAKE  ONTARIO  IN  1814.— 
THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN.  —  END  OF  THE  WAR  UPON  THE  LAKES 


vni  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

ON  THE  OCEAN. — THE  WORK  OF  THE  SLOOPS-OF-WAR.  —  Loss  OF  THE  "FROLIC."  — 
FRUITLESS  CRUISE  OF  THE  "ADAMS."  —  THE  "PEACOCK"  TAKES  THE  "EPERVIER." 

—  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE   "WASP."  —  SHE   CAPTURES  THE  "REINDEER."  —  SINKS  THE 
"AVON." — MYSTERIOUS  END  OF  THE  "WASP" , 

CHAPTER   XV. 

OPERATIONS  ON  THE  NEW  ENGLAND  COAST.  —  THE  BOMBARDMENT  OF  STONINGTON. — 
DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  CORVETTE  "ADAMS."  —  OPERATIONS  ON  CHESA 
PEAKE  BAY.  —  WORK  OF  BARNEY'S  BARGE  FLOTILLA.  —  ADVANCE  OF  THE  BRITISH  UPON 
WASHINGTON.  —  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  CAPITOL,  —  OPERATIONS  AGAINST  BALTIMORE. 

—  BOMBARDMENT  OF  FORT  MCHENRY 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

DESULTORY  HOSTILITIES  ON  THE  OCEAN.  —  ATTACK  UPON  FORT  BOWYER.  —  LAFITTE  THE 
PIRATE.  —  BRITISH  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  NEW  ORLEANS.  —  BATTLE  OF  THE  RIGOLETS. 

—  ATTACK  ON  NEW  ORLEANS,  AND  DEFEAT  OF  THE  BRITISH.  —  WORK  OF  THE  BLUE 
JACKETS. —  CAPTURE  OF  THE  FRIGATE  "PRESIDENT."  —  THE  "CONSTITUTION"  TAKES 
THE  "CYANE"  AND  " LEVANT."  —  THE  "HORNET"  TAKES  THE  "  PENGUIN."  —  END 
OF  THE  WAR 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

PRIVATEERS  AND  PRISONS  OF  THE  WAR.  —  THE  "RossiE."  —  SALEM  PRIVATEERS.  — THE 
"GEN.  ARMSTRONG"  GIVES  BATTLE  TO  A  BRITISH  SQUADRON,  AND  SAVES  NEW  ORLEANS. 

—  NARRATIVE  OF  A   BRITISH  OFFICER.  —  THE  "PRINCE  DE  NEUFCHATEL,"— EXPERI 
ENCES  OF  AMERICAN  PRISONERS  OF  WAR.  —  THE  END 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

THE  LONG  PEACE  BROKEN  BY  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO. — ACTIVITY  OF  THE  NAVY. 
— CAPTAIN  STOCK  ION'S  STRATAGEM. — THE  BATTLE  AT  SAN  JOSE. — THE  BLOCKADE. — 
INSTANCES  OF  PERSONAL  BRAVERY. — THE  Loss  OF  THE  l<  TRUXTON." — YELLOW  FEVER 
IN  THE  SQUADRON. — THE  NAVY  AT  VERA  CRUZ. — CAPTURE  OF  ALVARADO  . 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

THK  NAVY  IN  PEACE.— SURVEYING  THE  DEAD  SEA.— SUPPRESSING  THE  SLAVE  TRADE.— 
THE  FRANKLIN  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. — COMMODORE  PERRY  IN  JAPAN. — SIGNING  OF 
THE  TREATY. — TROUBLE  IN  CHINESE  WATERS.— THE  KOSZTA  CASE. — THE  SECOND 
FRANKLIN  RELIEF  EXPEDITION.— FOOTE  AT  CANTON.— "  BLOOD  is  THICKER  THAN 
WATER  "  , 


PART  III. 
BLUE  JACKETS  OF  '61 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE   OPENING   OF  THE   CONFLICT. — THE    NAVIES   OF  THE   CONTESTANTS. — Dix's  FAMOUS 
DESPATCH.  — THE  RIVER-GUNBOATS 

CHAPTER    II. 

FOKT     SUMTER     BOMBARDED. — ATTEMPT     OF     THE     "STAR    OF    THK    WEST  "     TO     RE-ENFORCE 

ANDERSON.  —  THE   NAVAL   EXPEDITION   TO   FORT    SUMTER.  —  THE    RESCUE    OF    THE 
FRIGATE  "CONSTITUTION."  —  BURNING  THE  NORFOLK  NAVY- YARD 

CHAPTER    III. 

DIFFICULTIES  OF  THE  CONFEDERATES  IN  GETTING  A  NAVY.  —  EXPLOIT  OF  THE  "FRENCH 
LADY."  —  NAVAL   SKIRMISHING  ON  THE  POTOMAC.  —  THE  CRUISE  OK  THE   "SUMTER" 

CHAPTER    IV. 

THE    POTOMAC   FLOTILLA.  —  CAPTURE   OF   ALEXANDRIA.  —  ACTIONS  AT  MATTHIAS  POINT. 
—  BOMBARDMENT  OF  THE  HATTERAS  FORTS 

CHAPTER    V. 

THE  "TRENT"  AFFAIR. — OPERATIONS  IN  ALBEMARLE  AND  PAMMCO  SOUNDS.  —  DESTRUC 
TION  OF  THE  CONFEDERATE  FLEET  ........... 

CHAPTER    VI. 
REDUCTION   OF   NEWBERN.  —  EXPLOITS  OF   LIEUT.  CUSHING. —  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  RAM 

"ALBEMARLE" .        . 

ix 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  BLOCKADE-RUNNERS. — NASSAU  AND  WILMINGTON. — WORK  OF  THE  CRUISERS     . 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

Du  PON  f'»  EXPEDITION  TO  HILTON  HEAD  AND  PORT  ROYAL. — THE  FIERY  CIRCLE  . 

CHAPTER    IX. 

TlIK    TlRSI      [^ON-CLAD    VESSELS    IN"     HISTORY.  — TlIE    "  MERRIMAC  "    SINKS    THE    "CUMBER 
LAND,"     AND     DESTROYS    THE     "  CONGRESS. "  —  DUEL      BETWEEN     THE     "MONITOR"     AND 

"  MERRIMAC  '.......          ........ 

CHAPTER    X. 

'iTHK    NAVY    IN    THE    TNI  AND   WATERS.  —  THE    MISSISSIPPI   SQUADRON.  —  SWEEPING    THE 
TENNESSEE  RIVER     .............. 

CHAPTER    XI. 

FAMOUS    CONFEDERATE     PRIVATEERS,  —  THE     "  ALABAMA,"     THE     "  SHENANDOAH,"     THE 
"NASHVILLE"  .............. 

CHAPTER    XII. 

WORK    OF    THE    GULF  SQUADRON.  —  THE    FIGHT  AT  THE   PASSES  OF  THE   MISSISSIPPI.  — 
DESTRUCTION   OF   THE   SCHOONER   "JUDAH."  —  THE    BLOCKADE   OF   GALVESTON,  AND 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  "HARRIET  LANE" 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THF.  CAPTURE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.  —  FARRAGUT'S  FLEET  PASSES  FORT  ST.  PHILIP  AND 
FORT  JACKSON 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

ALONG  THE  MISSISSIPPI.  —  FORTS  JACKSON  AND  ST.  PHILIP  SURRENDER.  —  THE  BATTLE 
AT  ST.  CHARLES.  —  THE  RAM  "ARKANSAS." — BOMBARDMENT  AND  CAPTURE  OF  PORT 
HUDSON 


CONTENTS.  xi 


CHAPTER    XV. 

ON     TO     VlCKSBURG. — BOMBARDMENT     OF    THE     CONFEDERATE    STRONGHOLD.  — PORTER'S 
CRUISE  IN  THE  FORESTS 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

VlCKSBURG   SURRENDERS,    AND    THE    MISSISSIPPI    IS   OPENED.  —  NAVAL  EVENTS  ALONG  THE 
GULF  COAST 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

OPERATIONS   ABOUT   CHARLESTON.  —  THE    BOMBARDMENT,  THE   SIEGE,  AND  THE  CAPTURE, 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
THE  BATTLE  OF  MOBILE  BAY 


CHAPTER    XIX. 
THE  FALL  OF  FORT  FISHER.  —  THE  NAVY  ENDS  ITS  WORK         ,  .... 


PART  IV. 
BLUE  JACKETS  IN  TIME  OF  PEACE, 


CHAPTER    I. 

POLICE  SERVICE  ON  THE  HIGH  SEAS. — WAR  SERVICE  IN  ASIATIC  PORTS. — LOSSES  BY  THE 
PERILS  OF  THE  DEEP. — A  BRUSH  WITH  THE  PIRATES. — ADMIRAL  RODGERS  AT  COREA. 
— SERVICES  IN  ARCTIC  WATERS. — THE  DISASTER  AT  SAMOA. — THE  ATTACK  ON  THE 
"BALTIMORE'S"  MEN  AT  VALPARAISO.— Loss  OF  THE  "  KEARSARGE." — THE  NAVAL 
REVIEW  . 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE  NAVAL  MILITIA. — A  VOLUNTEER  SERVICE  WHICH  IN  TIME  OF  WAR  WILL  BE  EFFECT- 
IVK. — How  BOYS  ARE  TRAINED  FOR  THE  LIFE  OF  A  SAILOR. — CONDITIONS  OF 
ENLISTMENT  IN  THE  VOLUNTEER  BRANCH  OF  THE  SERVICE. — THE  WORK  OF  THE 
SEAGOING  MILITIA  IN  SUMMER 

CHAPTER    III. 

How  THE  NAVY  HAS  GROWN. — THE  COST  AND  CHARACTER  OF  OUR  NEW  WHITE  SHIPS 
OF  WAR. — OUR  PERIOD  OF  NAVAL  WEAKNESS  AND  OUR  ADVANCE  TO  A  PLACE  AMONG 
THE  GREAT  NAVAL  POWERS. — THE  NEW  DEVICES  OF  NAVAL  WARFARE. — THE  TOR 
PEDO,  THE  DYNAMITE  GUN,  AND  THE  MODERN  RIFLE. — ARMOR  AND  ITS  POSSIBILITIES, 

PART  V. 

THE  NAVAL  WAR  WITH   SPAIN. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  STATE  OF  CUBA.  —  PERTINACITY  OF  THE  REVOLUTIONISTS. — SPAIN'S  SACRIFICES 
AND  FAILURE. — SPANISH  BARBARITIES. — THE  POLICY  OF  RECONCENTRATION. — 
AMERICAN  SYMPATHY  AROUSED.  — THE  STRUGGLE  IN  CONGRESS.  — THE  ASSASSINA 
TION  OF  THE  •«  MAINE."  —  REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSION. — THE  ONWARD  MARCH 
TO  BATTLE  . 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE  OPENING  DAYS  OF  THE  WAR.  —  THE  FIRST  BLOW  STRUCK  IN  THE  PACIFIC.  — 
DEWEY  AND  His  FLEET.  —  THE  BATTLE  AT  MANILA.  —  AN  EYE-WITNESS'  STORY. 
—  DELAY  AND  DOUBT  IN  THE  EAST.  —  DULL  TIMES  FOR  THE  BLUE-JACKETS.  —  THE 
DISCOVERY  OF  CERVERA.  —  HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT.  —  THE  OUTLOOK  . 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE  SPANISH   FLEET  MAKES  A  DASH    FROM  THE  HARBOR. — ITS  TOTAL  DESTRUCTION. — 
ADMIRAL  CERVERA  A  PRISONER.— GREAT  SPANISH  LOSSES.— AMERICAN  FLEET  LOSES 

BUT  ONE  MAN 

xii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


VOLUME  ONE 

Spilling  Grog  on  the  "Constitution"  before  going  into  Action  .  Frontispiece 

Commodore  Esek  Hopkins 

Siege  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  May,  1780 

Captain  John  Paul  Jones  quelling  the  Mob  at  Whitehaven,  Scotland,  Nov., 

1777  •  

The  Action  between  the  "  Bon   Homme  Richard  "  and  the  "  Serapis,"  Sep 
tember  23,  1779     . 

Commodore  Barry  ........... 

Shortening  Sail  on  the  "  Lancaster  "--  The  Oldest  Cruiser  in  Commission    . 

Commodore  Decatur         ......... 

Derelict  

Cutting  Away  the  Flag 

Commodore  Perry  ........... 

Barney  Regains  his  Ship 

Toasting  the  Wooden  Walls  of  Columbia       ....... 

Commodore  Macdonough 

Hull  Makes  a  Reconnoissance          ........ 

The  British  Squadron 

Lieut.  Allen  Fires  a  Shot          ... 

Commodore  Rogers  Hails 

Explosion  on  the  "  President  " 

"Hull  Her,  Boys!"  . 

Loading 

Ready  to  Board 

Engagement  of  the  Frigates  "United  States"  and  "Macedonian,"  Christ 
mas  Day,  1812 

Assuming  to  be  British  Men-of-War 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Marines  Picking  Off  the  Enemy      ...... 

In  the  Cross-Trees 

Perry's  Recruits       ......... 

Drilling  the  Raw  Recruits 

Commodore  Perry  at  the  Battle  of  Lake  Erie 

Perry's  Victory  —  The  Battle  of  Lake  Erie,  September  10,  1813 

Making  Ready  to  Leave  the  "  Lawrence  "... 

Awaiting  the  Boarders 

"  I  am  Commodore  Rogers  " 

Beating  to  Quarters 

The  Last  Shot  of  the  "  Chesapeake  " 

On  Board  the  "  Chesapeake  " 

The  Peruvian  Privateer 

The  Duel  at  the  Galapagos  Islands 

Firing  the  Howitzer 


VOLUME  TWO 

Destruction  of  the  "Maine,"  Havana  Harbor,  Feb.  15,  1898     .      Frontispiece 

The  Fight  with  the  "  Boxer  " 

The  Surrender  of  the  "Boxer" 

On  the  Way  to  Lake  Erie 

Hiram  Paulding  Fires  the  Guns 

The  Captain  of  the  "  Reindeer  " 

The  End  of  the  "Reindeer  " 

Lieut.  Richmond  Pearson  Hobson,  who  Sank  the  "  Merrimac  "  in  Santiago 
Harbor,  June  3,  1898  ......... 

The  Descent  of  Wareham   .  

Sharp-Shooters        ............ 

The  March  on  Washington 

Planning  the  Attack 

Reponse  to  the  Call  for  Volunteers  to  Accompany  Hobson  on  the  "Merri 
mac"  

The  "  President  "  Tries  to  Escape • 

Battleship  "Massachusetts"    .  

Prison  Chaplain  and  Jailer     .  


ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Last  Volley  of  the  War  

New  U.  S.  Torpedo-Boat  "  Talbot " 

The  "  Hartford,"  Farragut's  Flagship 

Departure  of  a  Naval  Expedition    from  Port  Royal 

Fort  Moultrie  .....  ...... 

Anderson's  Command  Occupying  Fort  Sumter      .          .          .         .         .         . 

Major  Robert  Anderson 

The  "Morris" — Topedo-Boat  of  the  Smallest  Type  —  46^  Tons  Displace 
ment,  800  Horse-Power 

Blockading  the  Mouth  of  the  Mississippi 

Flag  of  the  Confederacy 

Naval  Patrol  on  the  Potomac 

Attack  on  the  Hatteras  Forts          ......... 

Spanish  Merchant  Steamer  "  Catalina  "  Captured  by  the  Cruiser  "  Detroit," 
April  24,  1898  .......... 

Flag  of  South  Carolina  ........... 

Nassau:  The  Haunt  of  Blockade-Runners  ....... 

Cotton  Ships  at  Nassau 

Marines  Saluting  on  the  "  Lancaster  " — Our  Oldest  Naval  Vessel  in  Active 
Service       ............ 

Fortress  Monroe     ............ 

Du  Pont's  Expedition  Off  Cape  Hatteras     . 

The  Opening  Gun 

Engagement  of  the  "Monitor"  and  "  Merrimac,"  March  9,  1862 

A  River  Gunboat         ........... 

Engagement  of  the  "  Kearsarge  "  and  "Alabama,"  June  19,  1864 

Rescue  of  Capt.  Semmes      .......... 

The  "Nashville"  Burning  a  Prize         ........ 

Fort  Pensacola    ............ 

Levee  at  New  Orleans  Before  the  War         ....... 

Farragut's  Fleet  Engaging  the  Enemy  near  New  Orleans,  April  26,  1862      . 

Breaking  the  Chain 

Farragut  Engaging  the  Port  Hudson  (La.)  Batteries,  March,  1863 

The  "Arkansas  "  under  Fire 

Farragut's  Fleet  Engaging  Forts  Jackson  and  St.  Philip  and  Confederate 
Fleet  on  the  Mississippi  River,  below  New  Orleans,  April  25,  1862    . 

The  Launching  of  the  Battleship  "Iowa" 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Passing  the  Vicksburg  Batteries     ......... 

Bailey's  Dam  on  the  Red  River 

Engagement  Between  the  U.  S.  Flagship  "Hartford  "  and  the  Confederate 
Ironclad  "Tennessee,"  Mobile  Bay,  August  5,  1864  .... 

Warships  off  Charleston  Harbor     ......... 

Battle  of  Mobile  Bay  —  Union  Fleet  Engaging  Fort  Morgan  and  Confed 
erate  Vessels,  August  5,  1864  .  

Forward  Turret  of  Monitor  "  Terror  " 

Torpedo-Boat  "Cushing" 

Dynamite  Cruiser  "  Vesuvius  "  

Ensign  Worth  Bagley,  of  the  Torpedo-Boat  "  Winslow,"  Killed  May  n,  1898 

Partial  View  of  the  Wreck  of  the  "  Maine  "  ...... 

Dewey's  Victory — The  Naval  Fight  in  Manila  Bay,  May  i,  1898 

The  Defeat  of  Cervera's  Fleet— The  "Colon  "  Running  Ashore    . 

The  Naval  Board  of  Strategy,  1898 

Rear-Admiral  William  Thomas  Sampson        ....... 

Bombardment  of  San  Juan,  Puerto  Rico,  May  13,  1898 

Rear-Admiral  George  Dewey 

Admiral  Sampson's  Fleet  off  Puerto  Rico,  in  Search  of  Cervera's  Vessels, 
May  i,  1898  ............ 

Admiral  Cervera's  Fleet  Approaching  Santiago,  May,  1898   . 

Commodore  John  Crittenden  Watson     ........ 

General  Miles's  Expedition  to  Puerto  Rico,  as  seen  from  the  Deck  of  the 
"  St.  Paul " 

Hobson  Sinking  the  "Merrimac"  in  the  Entrance  to  Santiago  Harbor,  June 
3,  1898  .  ..'...  . 

Rear-Admiral  Winfield  Scott  Schley 

Monitors  at  League  Island  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia     ..... 

Training  Ship  "Alliance  "— Type  of  the  Last  Wooden  Sloops-of-War  . 

Training  Ships  "  Portsmouth  "  and  "  Lancaster  "  at  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard     . 

"Racing  Home"-— The  Battleship  "  Oregon  "  on  her  way  from  San  Fran 
cisco  to  Key  West  .......... 

Hammock-Inspection  on  a  Battleship 

Armored  Cruiser  "New  York  "  on  her  way  to  Puerto  Rico    .... 

New  York's  Welcome  to  the  Battleship  "  Texas  " 

Spanish  Merchant  Steamer  "Panama,"  Captured  April  25,  by  Lighthouse 
Tender  "  Mangrove  ".......... 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Forward  1 3-inch  Guns  on  Battleship  "Indiana"    ...... 

Forward  Deck  of  Dynamite  Gun- Vessel  "Vesuvius" 

Hospital  Ship  "  Relief  " 

Religious  Service  on  Battleship  "  Iowa,"  off  Havana 

The  Battleship  "  Maine  "  Leaving  New  York  for  Havana      .... 
Bombardment  of  Matanzas,  Cuba,  by  the  "New  York,"  "Cincinnati,"  and 

"Puritan,"  April  27,  1898     .         .         . 

Ironclads  in  Action          ........... 

Bombardment  of  Forts  at  Entrance  of  Santiago  Harbor,  Cuba,  May  6,  1898 
Torpedo-Boat  "  Ericsson  "........„. 

Deck-Tube  and  Projectile  of  a  Torpedo-Boat 

Crew  of  the  "Indiana"  Watching  the  "New  York"  Capture  a  Prize   . 
Hurry-Work  at  Night  on  Monitor  "  Puritan  "  at  League  Island  Navy  Yard, 

Philadelphia e 


PART  I 
BLUE  JACKETS  OF  '76 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 


CHAPTER   I. 


EARLY  EXPLOITS  UPON  THE  WATER. —GALLOP'S  BATTLE  WITH  THE  INDIANS.  —  BUCCANEER? 
AND  PIRATES.  — MORGAN  AND  BLACKBEARD.  —  CAPT.  KIDD  TURNS  PIRATE.  —  DOWNFALI 
OF  THE  BUCCANEERS'  POWER. 


N  MAY,  1636,  a  stanch  little  sloop  of  some  twenty  tons  was 
standing  along  Long  Island  Sound  on  a  trading  expedition. 
At  her  helm  stood  John  Gallop,  a  sturdy  colonist,  and  a  skilful 
seaman,  who  earned  his  bread  by  trading  with  the  Indians  that 
at  that  time  thronged  the  shores  of  the  Sound,  and  eagerly  seized 
any  opportunity  to  traffic  with  the  white  men  from  the  colonies  of 
Plymouth  or  New  Amsterdam.  The  colonists  sent  out  beads,  knives, 
bright  clothes,  and  sometimes,  unfortunately,  rum  and  other  strong 
drinks.  The  Indians  in  exchange  offered  skins  and  peltries  of  all  kinds  ,* 
and,  as  their  simple  natures  had  not  been  schooled  to  nice  calculations 
of  values,  the  traffic  was  one  of  great  profit  to  the  more  shrewd  whites. 
But  the  trade  was  not  without  its  perils.  Though  the  Indians  were 
simple,  and  little  likely  to  drive  hard  bargains,  yet  they  were  savages, 
and  little  accustomed  to  nice  distinctions  between  their  own  propert) 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 


and  that  of  others.  Their  desires  once  aroused  for  some  gaudy  bit  of 
cloth  or  shining  glass,  they  were  ready  enough  to  steal  it,  often  making 
their  booty  secure  by  the  murder  of  the  luckless  trader.  It  so  happened, 
that,  just  before  John  Gallop  set  out  with  his  sloop  on  the  spring 
trading  cruise,  the  people  of  the  colony  were  excitedly  discussing  the 
probable  fate  of  one  Oldham,  who  some  weeks  before  had  set  out  on 
a  like  errand,  in  a  pinnace,  with  a  crew  of  two  white  boys  and  two 
Indians,  and  had  never  returned.  So  when,  on  this  May  morning, 
Gallop,  being  forced  to  hug  the  shore  by  stormy  weather,  saw  a  small 
vessel  lying  at  anchor  in  a  cove,  he  immediately  ran  down  nearer,  to 
investigate.  The  crew  of  the  sloop  numbered  two  men  and  two  boys, 
beside  the  skipper,  Gallop.  Some  heavy  duck-guns  on  board  were  no 
mean  ordnance ;  and  the  New  Englander  determined  to  probe  the  mys 
tery  of  Oldham's  disappearance,  though  it  might  require  some  fighting. 
As  the  sloop  bore  down  upon  the  anchored  pinnace,  Gallop  found  no 
lack  of  signs  to  arouse  his  suspicion.  The  rigging  of  the  strange  craft 
was  loose,  and  seemed  to  have  been  cut.  No  lookout  was  visible,  and 
she  seemed  to  have  been  deserted  ;  but  a  nearer  view  showed,  lying  on 
the  deck  of  the  pinnace,  fourteen  stalwart  Indians,  one  of  whom,  catching 
sight  of  the  approaching  sloop,  cut  the  anchor  cable,  and  called  to  his 
companions  to  awake. 

This  action  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  left  Gallop  no  doubt  as  to 
their  character.  Evidently  they  had  captured  the  pinnace,  and  had  either 
murdered  Oldham,  or  even  then  had  him  a  prisoner  in  their  midst.  The 
daring  sailor  wasted  no  time  in  debate  as  to  the  proper  course  to 
pursue,  but  clapping  all  sail  on  his  craft,  soon  brought  her  alongside  the 
pinnace.  As  the  sloop  came  up,  the  Indians  opened  the  fight  with  fire-arms 
and  spears ;  but  Gallop's  crew  responded  with  their  duck-guns  with  such 
vigor  that  the  Indians  deserted  the  decks,  and  fled  below  for  shelter. 
Gallop  was  then  in  a  quandary.  The  odds  against  him  were  too  great 
for  him  to  dare  to  board,  and  the  pinnace  was  rapidly  drifting  ashore. 
After  some  deliberation  he  put  up  his  helm,  and  beat  to  windward  of 
the  pinnace ;  then,  coming  about,  came  scudding  down  upon  her  before  the 
wind.  The  two  vessels  met  with  a  tremendous  shock.  The  bow  of  the 
sloop  struck  the  pinnace  fairly  amidships,  forcing  her  over  on  her  beam- 
ends,  until  the  water  poured  into  the  open  hatchway.  The  affrighted 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


Indians,  unused  to  warfare  on  the  water,  rushed  upon  deck.  Six  leaped 
into  the  sea,  and  were  drowned ;  the  rest  retreated  again  into  the 
cabin.  Gallop  then  prepared  to  repeat  his  ramming  manoeuvre.  This 
time,  to  make  the  blow  more  effective,  he  lashed  his  anchor  to  the  bow, 
so  that  the  sharp  flukes  protruded  ;  thus  extemporizing  an  iron-clad  ram 
more  than  two  hundred  years  before  naval  men  thought  of  using  one. 
Thus  provided,  the  second  blow  of  the  sloop  was  more  terrible  than  the 
first.  The  sharp  fluke  of  the  anchor  crashed  through  the  side  of 
the  pinnace,  and  the  two  vessels  hung  tightly  together.  Gallop  then 
began  to  double-load  his  duck-guns,  and  fire  through  the  sides  of  the 
pinnace ;  but,  finding  that  the  enemy  was  not  to  be  dislodged  in  this 
way,  he  broke  his  vessel  loose,  and  again  made  for  the  windward, 
preparatory  to  a  third  blow.  As  the  sloop  drew  off,  four  or  five  more 
Indians  rushed  from  the  cabin  of  the  pinnace,  and  leaped  overboard, 
but  shared  the  fate  of  their  predecessors,  being  far  from  land.  Gallop 
then  came  about,  and  for  the  third  time  bore  down  upon  his  adversary. 
As  he  drew  near,  an  Indian  appeared  on  the  deck  of  the  pinnace,  and 
with  humble  gestures  offered  to  submit.  Gallop  ran  alongside,  and  taking 
the  man  on  board,  bound  him  hand  and  foot,  and  placed  him  in  the 
hold.  A  second  redskin  then  begged  for  quarter;  but  Gallop,  fearing 
to  allow  the  two  wily  savages  to  be  together,  cast  the  second  into  the 
sea,  where  he  was  drowned.  Gallop  then  boarded  the  pinnace.  Two 
Indians  were  lett,  who  retreated  into  a  small  compartment  of  the  hold, 
and  were  left  unmolested.  In  the  cabin  was  found  the  mangled  body 
of  Mr.  Oldham.  A  tomahawk  had  been  sunk  deep  into  his  skull,  and 
his  body  was  covered  with  wounds.  The  floor  of  the  cabin  was  littered 
with  portions  of  the  cargo,  which  the  murderous  savages  had  plundered. 
Taking  all  that  remained  of  value  upon  his  own  craft,  Gallop  cut  loose 
the  pinnace  ;  and  she  drifted  away,  to  go  to  pieces  on  a  reef  in 
Narragansett  Bay. 

This  combat  is  the  earliest  action  upon  American  waters  of  which 
we  have  any  trustworthy  records.  The  only  naval  event  antedating  this 
was  the  expedition  from  Virginia,  under  Capt.  Samuel  Argal,  against  the 
little  French  settlement  of  San  Sauveur.  Indeed,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  pirates  and  the  neighboring  French  settlements,  there  would  be  little 
in  the  early  history  of  the  American  Colonies  to  attract  the  lover  of 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


naval  history.  But  about  1645  tne  buccaneers  began  to  commit  depre 
dations  on  the  high  seas,  and  it  became  necessary  for  the  Colonies  to 
take  steps  for  the  protection  of  their  commerce.  In  this  year  an  eighteen- 
gun  ship  from  Cambridge,  Mass.,  fell  in  with  a  Barbary  pirate  of  twenty 
guns,  and  was  hard  put  to  it  to  escape.  And,  as  the  seventeenth 
century  drew  near  its  close,  these  pests  of  the  sea  so  increased,  that 
evil  was  sure  to  befall  the  peaceful  merchantman  that  put  to  sea  with 
out  due  preparation  for  a  fight  or  two  with  the  sea  robbers. 

It  was  in  the  low-lying  islands  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  that  these" 
predatory  gentry  —  buccaneers,  marooners,  or  pirates  —  made  their  head 
quarters,  and  lay  in  wait  for  the  richly  freighted  merchantmen  in  the 
West  India  trade.  Men  of  all  nationalities  sailed  under  the  "  Jolly 
Roger,"  —  as  the  dread  black  flag  with  skull  and  cross-bones  was  called, — 
but  chiefly  were  they  French  and  Spaniards.  The  continual  wars  that 
in  that  turbulent  time  racked  Europe  gave  to  the  marauders  of  the 
sea  a  specious  excuse  for  their  occupation.  Thus,  many  a  Spanish 
schooner,  manned  by  a  swarthy  crew  bent  on  plunder,  commenced  her 
career  on  the  Spanish  Main,  with  the  intention  of  taking  only  ships 
belonging  to  France  and  England  ;  but  let  a  richly  laden  Spanish  galleon 
appear,  after  a  long  season  of  ill-fortune,  and  all  scruples  were  thrown 
aside,  the  " Jolly  Roger"  sent  merrily  to  the  fore,  and  another  pirate 
was  added  to  the  list  of  those  that  made  the  highways  of  the  sea  as 
dangerous  to  travel  as  the  footpad  infested  common  of  Hounslow  Heath. 
English  ships  went  out  to  hunt  down  the  treacherous  Spaniards,  and 
stayed  to  rob  and  pillage  indiscriminately  ;  and  not  a  few  of  the  names 
now  honored  as  those  of  eminent  English  discoverers,  were  once  dreaded 
as  being  borne  by  merciless  pirates. 

But  the  most  powerful  of  the  buccaneers  on  the  Spanish  Main  were 
French,  and  between  them  and  the  Spaniards  an  unceasing  warfare  was 
waged.  There  were  desperate  men  on  either  side,  and  mighty  stories 
are  told  of  their  deeds  of  valor.  There  were  Pierre  Francois,  who,  with 
six  and  twenty  desperadoes,  dashed  into  the  heart  of  a  Spanish  fleet,  and 
captured  the  admiral's  flag-ship;  Bartholomew  Portuguese,  who,  with 
thirty  men,  made  repeated  attacks  upon  a  great  Indiaman  with  a  crew  of 
seventy,  and  though  beaten  back  time  and  again,  persisted  until  the  crew 
surrendered  to  the  twenty  buccaneers  left  alive ;  Francois  1'Olonoise,  who 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


sacked  the  cities  of  Maracaibo  and  Gibraltar,  and  who,  on  hearing  that 
a  man-o'-war  had  been  sent  to  drive  him  away,  went  boldly  to  meet 
her,  captured  her,  and  slaughtered  all  of  the  crew  save  one,  whom  he  sent 
to  bear  the  bloody  tidings  to  the  governor  of  Havana. 

Such  were  the  buccaneers,  —  desperate,  merciless,  and  insatiate  in  their 
lust  for  plunder.  So  numerous  did  they  finally  become,  that  no  merchant 
dared  to  send  a  ship  to  the  West  Indies ;  and  the  pirates,  finding 
that  they  had  fairly  exterminated  their  game,  were  fain  to  turn  land 
wards  for  further  booty.  It  was  an  Englishman  that  showed  the  sea 
rovers  this  new  plan  of  pillage ;  one  Louis  Scott,  who  descended  upon 
the  town  of  Campeche,  and,  after  stripping  the  place  to  the  bare  walls, 
demanded  that  a  heavy  tribute  be  paid  him,  in  default  of  which  he 
would  burn  the  town.  Loaded  with  booty,  he  sailed  back  to  the  buc 
caneers'  haunts  in  the  Tortugas.  This  expedition  was  the  example  that 
the  buccaneers  followed  for  the  next  few  years.  City  after  city  fell  a 
prey  to  the  demoniac  attacks  of  the  lawless  rovers.  Houses  and  churches 
were  sacked,  towns  given  to  the  flames,  rich  and  poor  plundered  alike ; 
murder  was  rampant  ;  and  men  and  women  were  subjected  to  the  most 
horrid  tortures,  to  extort  information  as  to  buried  treasures. 

Two  great  names  stand  out  pre-eminent  amid  the  host  of  outlaws 
that  took  part  in  this  reign  of  rapine, — 1'Olonoise  and  Sir  Henry  Morgan. 
The  desperate  exploits  of  these  two  worthies  would,  if  recounted,  fill 
volumes  ;  and  probably  no  more  extraordinary  narrative  of  cruelty,  courage, 
suffering,  and  barbaric  luxury  could  be  fabricated.  Morgan  was  a  Welsh 
man,  an  emigrant,  who,  having  worked  out  as  a  slave  the  cost  of  his 
passage  across  the  ocean,  took  immediate  advantage  of  his  freedom  to 
take  up  the  trade  of  piracy.  For  him  was  no  pillaging  of  paltry  merchant- 
ships.  He  demanded  grander  operations,  and  his  bands  of  desperadoes 
assumed  the  proportions  of  armies.  Many  were  the  towns  that  suffered 
from  the  bloody  visitations  of  Morgan  and  his  men.  Puerto  del  Principe 
yielded  up  to  them  three  hundred  thousand  pieces  of  eight,  five  hundred 
head  of  cattle,  and  many  prisoners.  Porto  Bello  was  bravely  defended 
against  the  barbarians  ;  and  the  stubbornness  of  the  defence  so  enraged 
Morgan,  that  he  swore  that  no  quarter  should  be  given  the  defenders. 
And  so  when  some  hours  later  the  chief  fortress  surrendered,  the 
merciless  buccaneer  locked  its  garrison  in  the  guard-room,  set  a  torch  to 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


the  magazine,  and  sent  castle  and  garrison  flying  into  the  air.  Maracaibo 
and  Gibraltar  next  fell  into  the  clutches  of  the  pirate.  At  the  latter 
town,  finding  himself  caught  in  a  river  with  three  men-of-war  anchored 
at  its  mouth,  he  hastily  built  a  fire-ship,  put  some  desperate  men  at  the 
helm,  and  sent  her,  a  sheet  of  flame,  into  the  midst  of  the  squadron. 
The  admiral's  ship  was  destroyed  ;  and  the  pirates  sailed  away,  exulting 
over  their  adversaries'  discomfiture.  Rejoicing  over  their  victories,  the 
followers  of  Morgan  then  planned  a  venture  that  should  eclipse  all  that 
had  gone  before.  This  was  no  less  than  a  descent  upon  Panama,  the 
most  powerful  of  the  West  Indian  cities.  For  this  undertaking,  Morgan 
gathered  around  him  an  army  of  over  two  thousand  desperadoes  of  all 
nationalities.  A  little  village  on  the  island  of  Hispaniola  was  chosen  as 
the  recruiting  station  ;  and  thither  flocked  pirates,  thieves,  and  adventurers 
from  all  parts  of  the  world.  It  was  a  motley  crew  thus  gathered  together,  - 
Spaniards,  swarthy  skinned  and  black  haired ;  wiry  Frenchmen,  quick  to 
anger,  and  ever  ready  with  cutlass  or  pistol ;  Malays  and  Lascars,  half 
clad  in  gaudy  colors,  treacherous  and  sullen,  with  a  hand  ever  on  their 
glittering  creeses ;  Englishmen,  handy  alike  with  fist,  bludgeon,  or  cutlass, 
and  mightily  given  to  fearful  oaths ;  negroes,  Moors,  and  a  few  West 
Indians  mixed  with  the  lawless  throng. 

Having  gathered  his  band,  procured  provisions  (chiefly  by  plundering), 
and  built  a  fleet  of  boats,  Morgan  put  his  forces  in  motion.  The  first 
obstacle  in  his  path  was  the  Castle  of  Chagres,  which  guarded  the  mouth 
of  the  Chagres  River,  up  which  the  buccaneers  must  pass  to  reach  the 
city  of  Panama.  To  capture  this  fortress,  Morgan  sent  his  vice-admiral 
Bradley,  with  four  hundred  men.  The  Spaniards  were  evidently  warned 
of  their  approach  ;  for  hardly  had  the  first  ship  flying  the  piratical  ensign 
appeared  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  when  the  royal  standard  of  Spain 
was  hoisted  above  the  castle,  and  the  dull  report  of  a  shotted  gun  told 
the  pirates  that  there  was  a  stubborn  resistance  in  store  for  them. 

Landing  some  miles  below  the  castle,  and  cutting  their  way  with 
hatchet  and  sabre  through  the  densely  interwoven  vegetation  of  a  tropical 
jungle,  the  pirates  at  last  reached  a  spot  from  which  a  clear  view  of 
the  castle  could  be  obtained.  As  they  emerged  from  the  forest  to  the 
open,  the  sight  greatly  disheartened  them.  They  saw  a  powerful  fort, 
with  bastions,  moat,  drawbridge,  and  precipitous  natural  defences.  Many 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 


of  the  pirates  advised  a  retreat ;  but  Bradley,  dreading  the  anger  of 
*Morgan,  ordered  an  assault.  Time  after  time  did  the  desperate  buc 
caneers,  with  horrid  yells,  rush  upon  the  fort,  only  to  be  beaten  back 
by  the  well-directed  volleys  of  the  garrison.  They  charged  up  to  the 
very  walls,  threw  over  fireballs,  and  hacked  the  timbers  with  axes,  but 
to  no  avail.  From  behind  their  impregnable  ramparts,  the  Spaniards  fired 
murderous  volleys,  crying  out,  — 

"Come  on,  you  English  devils,  you  heretics,  the  enemies  of  God  and 
of  the  king !  Let  your  comrades  who  are  behind  come  also.  We  will  serve 
them  as  we  have  served  you.  You  shall  not  get  to  Panama  this  time." 

As  night  fell,  the  pirates  withdrew  into  the  thickets  to  escape  the  fire 
of  their  enemies,  and  to  discuss  their  discomfiture.  As  one  group  of 
buccaneers  lay  in  the  jungle,  a  chance  arrow,  shot  by  an  Indian  in  the 
fort,  struck  one  of  them  in  the  arm.  Springing  to  his  feet  with  a  cry 
of  rage  and  pain,  the  wounded  man  cried  out  as  he  tore  the  arrow  from 
the  bleeding  wound, — 

"  Look  here,  my  comrades.  I  will  make  this  accursed  arrow  the 
means  of  the  destruction  of  all  the  Spaniards." 

So  saying,  he  wrapped  a  quantity  of  cotton  about  the  head  of  the 
arrow,  charged  his  gun  with  powder,  and,  thrusting  the  arrow  into  the 
muzzle,  fired.  His  comrades  eagerly  watched  the  flight  of  the  missile, 
which  was  easily  traced  by  the  flaming  cotton.  Hurtling  through  the 
air,  the  fiery  missile  fell  upon  a  thatched  roof  within  the  castle,  and 
the  dry  straw  and  leaves  were  instantly  in  a  blaze.  With  cries  of  savage 
joy,  the  buccaneers  ran  about  picking  up  the  arrows  that  lay  scattered 
over  the  battle-field.  Soon  the  air  was  full  of  the  firebrands,  and  the 
woodwork  within  the  castle  enclosure  was  a  mass  of  flame.  One  arrow 
fell  within  the  magazine ;  and  a  burst  of  smoke  and  flame,  and  the  dull 
roar  of  an  explosion,  followed.  The  Spaniards  worked  valiantly  to 
extinguish  the  flames,  and  to  beat  back  their  assailants ;  but  the  fire 
raged  beyond  their  control,  and  the  bright  light  made  them  easy  targets 
for  their  foes.  There  could  be  but  one  issue  to  such  a  conflict.  By 
morning  the  fort  was  in  the  hands  of  the  buccaneers,  and  of  the  garrison 
of  three  hundred  and  fourteen  only  fourteen  were  unhurt.  Over  the 
ruins  of  the  fort  the  English  flag  was  hoisted,  the  shattered  walls  were 
repaired,  and  the  place  made  a  rendezvous  for  Morgan's  forces. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 


On  the  scene  of  the  battle  Morgan  drilled  his  forces,  and  prepared 
for  the  march  and  battles  that  were  to  come.  After  some  days'  prepa 
ration,  the  expedition  set  out.  The  road  lay  through  tangled  tropical 
forests,  under  a  burning  sun.  Little  food  was  taken,  as  the  invaders 
expected  to  live  on  the  country;  but  the  inhabitants  fled  before  the 
advancing  column,  destroying  every  thing  eatable.  Soon  starvation  stared 
the  desperadoes  in  the  face.  They  fed  upon  berries,  roots,  and  leaves. 
As  the  clays  passed,  and  no  food  was  to  be  found,  they  sliced  up  and 
devoured  coarse  leather  bags.  For  a  time,  it  seemed  that  they  would 
never  escape  alive  from  the  jungle  ;  but  at  last,  weak,  weary,  and  emaci 
ated,  they  came  out  upon  a  grassy  plain  before  the  city  of  Panama. 
Here,  a  few  days  later,  a  great  battle  was  fought.  The  Spaniards  out 
numbered  the  invaders,  and  were  better  provided  with  munitions  of  war; 
yet  the  pirates,  righting  with  the  bravery  of  desperate  men,  were  victori 
ous,  and  the  city  fell  into  their  hands.  Then  followed  days  of  murder, 
plunder,  and  debauchery.  Morgan  saw  his  followers,  maddened  by  liquor, 
scoff  at  the  idea  of  discipline  and  obedience.  Fearing  that  while  his 
men  were  helplessly  drunk  the  Spaniards  would  rally  and  cut  them  to 
pieces,  he  set  fire  to  the  city,  that  the  stores  of  rum  might  be  destroyed. 
After  sacking  the  town,  the  vandals  packed  their  plunder  on  the  backs 
of  mules,  and  retraced  their  steps  to  the  seaboard.  Their  booty  amounted 
to  over  two  millions  of  dollars.  Over  the  division  of  this  enormous  sum 
great  dissensions  arose,  and  Morgan  saw  the  mutinous  spirit  spreading 
rapidly  among  his  men.  With  a  few  accomplices,  therefore,  he  loaded  a 
ship  with  the  plunder,  and  secretly  set  sail ;  leaving  over  half  of  his 
band,  without  food  or  shelter,  in  a  hostile  country.  Many  of  the  aban 
doned  buccaneers  starved,  some  were  shot  or  hanged  by  the  enraged 
Spaniards ;  but  the  leader  of  the  rapacious  gang  reached  Jamaica  with  a 
huge  fortune,  and  was  appointed  governor  of  the  island,  and  made 
a  baronet  by  the  reigning  king  of  England,  Charles  the  Second. 

Such  were  some  of  the  exploits  of  some  of  the  more  notorious  of  the 
buccaneers.  It  may  be  readily  imagined,  that,  with  hordes  of  desperadoes 
such  as  these  infesting  the  waters  of  the  West  Indies,  there  was  little 
opportunity  for  the  American  Colonies  to  build  up  any  maritime  interests 
in  that  direction.  And  as  the  merchantmen  became  scarce  on  the 
Spanish  Main,  such  of  the  buccaneers  as  did  not  turn  landward  in  search 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


of  booty  put  out  to  sea,  and  ravaged  the  ocean  pathways  between  the 
Colonies  and  England.  It  was  against  these  pirates,  that  the  earliest 
naval  operations  of  the  Colonies  were  directed.  Several  cruisers  were 
fitted  out  to  rid  the  seas  of  these  pests,  but  we  hear  little  of  their  success. 
But  the  name  of  one  officer  sent  against  the  pirates  has  become 
notorious  as  that  of  the  worst  villain  of  them  all. 

It  was  in  January,  1665,  that  William  III.,  King  of  England,  issued 
"  to  our  true  and  well-beloved  Capt.  William  Kidd,  commander  of  the 
ship  'Adventure,'*'  a  commission  to  proceed  against  "divers  wicked 
persons  who  commit  many  and  great  piracies,  robberies,  and  depredations 
on  the  seas."  Kidd  was  a  merchant  of  New  York,  and  had  commanded 
a  privateer  during  the  last  war  with  France.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
courage,  and,  being  provided  with  a  stanch  ship  and  brave  crew,  set  out 
with  high  hopes  of  winning  great  reputation  and  much  prize  money. 
But  fortune  was  against  him.  For  months  the  "  Adventure  "  ploughed 
the  blue  waves  of  the  ocean,  yet  not  a  sail  appeared  on  the  horizon. 
Once,  indeed,  three  ships  were  seen  in  the  distance.  The  men  of  the 
"  Adventure  "  were  overjoyed  at  the  prospect  of  a  rich  prize,  The  ship 
was  prepared  for  action.  The  men,  stripped  to  the  waist,  stood  at  their 
quarters,  talking  of  the  coming  battle.  Kidd  stood  in  the  rigging  with  a 
spy-glass,  eagerly  examining  the  distant  vessels.  But  only  disappointment 
was  in  store  ;  for,  as  the  ships  drew  nearer,  Kidd  shut  his  spy-glass  with 
an  oath,  saying,  — 

"They  are  only  three  English  men  o'-war." 

Continued  disappointment  bred  discontent  and  mutiny  among  the 
crew.  They  had  been  enlisted  with  lavish  promises  of  prize  money,  but 
saw  before  them  nothing  but  a  profitless  cruise.  The  spirit  of  discontent 
spread  rapidly.  Three  or  four  ships  that  were  sighted  proved  to  be 
neither  pirates  nor  French,  and  were  therefore  beyond  the  powers  of 
capture  granted  Kidd  by  the  king.  Kidd  fought  against  the  growing 
piratical  sentiment  for  a  long  time  ;  but  temptation  at  last  overcame  him, 
and  he  yielded.  Near  the  Straits  of  Babelmandeb,  at  the  entrance  to  the 
Red  Sea,  he  landed  a  party,  plundered  the  adjoining  country  for  provisions, 
and,  turning  his  ship's  prow  toward  the  straits,  mustered  his  crew  on 
deck,  and  thus  addressed  them :  — 

"  We  have   been    unsuccessful  hitherto,  my  boys,"  he  said,  "but  take 


8  BLUE-JACKETS  OF    '76. 

courage.  Fortune  is  now  about  to  smile  upon  us.  The  fleet  of  the 
'  Great  Mogul/  freighted  with  the  richest  treasures,  is  soon  to  come  out 
of  the  Red  Sea.  From  the  capture  of  those  heavily  laden  ships,  we  will 
all  grow  rich." 

The  crew,  ready  enough  to  become  pirates,  cheered  lustily  :  and,  turning 
his  back  upon  all  hopes  of  an  honorable  career,  Kidd  set  out  in  search 
of  the  treasure  fleet.  After  cruising  for  four  days,  the  "  Adventure " 
/ell  in  with  the  squadron,  which  proved  to  be  under  convoy  of  an 
English  and  a  Dutch  man-of-war.  The  squadron  was  a  large  one,  and 
the  ships  greatly  scattered.  By  skilful  seamanship,  Kidd  dashed  down 
upon  an  outlying  vessel,  hoping  to  capture  and  plunder  it  before  the 
convoying  men-of-war  could  come  to  its  rescue.  But  his  first  shot 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  watchful  guardians ;  and,  though  several 
miles  away,  they  packed  on  all  sail,  and  bore  down  to  the  rescue  with 
such  spirit  that  the  disappointed  pirate  was  forced  to  sheer  off.  Kidd 
was  now  desperate.  He  had  failed  as  a  reputable  privateer,  and  his 
first  attempt  at  piracy  had  failed.  Thenceforward,  he  cast  aside  all 
scruples,  and  captured  large  ships  and  small,  tortured  their  crews,  and 
for  a  time  seemed  resolved  to  lead  a  piratical  life.  But  there  are 
evidences  that  at  times  this  strange  man  relented,  and  strove  to  return 
to  the  path  of  duty  and  right.  On  one  occasion,  a  Dutch  ship  crossed 
the  path  of  the  "  Adventure,"  and  the  crew  clamorously  demanded  her 
capture.  Kidd  firmly  refused.  A  tumult  arose.  The  captain  drew  his 
sabre  and  pistols,  and  gathering  about  him  those  still  faithful,  addressed 
the  mutineers,  saying,  — 

"  You  may  take  the  boats  and  go.  But  those  who  thus  leave  this 
ship  will  never  ascend  its  sides  again." 

The  mutineers  murmured  loudly.     One  man,  a  gunner,  named  William 
Moore,  stepped  forward,  saying,  — 

"You  are  ruining  us  all.  You  are  keeping  us  in  beggary  and 
starvation.  But  for  your  whims,  we  might  all  be  prosperous  and  rich." 

At  this  outspoken  mutiny,  Kidd  flew  into  a  passion.  Seizing  a  heavy 
bucket  that  stood  near,  he  dealt  Moore  a  terrible  blow  on  the  head. 
The  unhappy  man  fell  to  the  deck  with  a  fractured  skull,  and  the  other 
mutineers  sullenly  yielded  to  the  captain's  will.  Moore  died  the  next 
day;  and  months  after,  when  Kidd,  after  roving  the  seas,  and  robbing 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    76. 


ships  of  every  nationality,  was  brought  to  trial  at  London,  it  was  for 
the  murder  of  William  Moore  that  he  was  condemned  to  die.  For 
Kidd's  career  subsequent  to  the  incident  of  the  Dutch  ship  was  that 
of  a  hardened  pirate.  He  captured  and  robbed  ships,  and  tortured  their 
passengers.  He  went  to  Madagascar,  the  rendezvous  of  the  pirates,  and 
joined  in  their  revelry  and  debauchery.  On  the  island  were  five  or  six 
hundred  pirates,  and  ships  flying  the  black  flag  were  continually  arriving 
or  departing.  The  streets  resounded  with  shouts  of  revelry,  with  curses, 
and  with  the  cries  of  rage.  Strong  drinks  were  freely  used.  Drunkenness 
was  everywhere.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  a  hogshead  of  wine 
to  be  opened,  and  left  standing  in  the  streets,  that  any  might  drink 
who  chose.  The  pirates,  flush  with  their  ill-gotten  gains,  spent  money  on 
gambling  and  kindred  vices  lavishly.  The  women  who  accompanied  them 
to  this  lawless  place  were  decked  out  with  barbaric  splendor  in  silks 
and  jewels.  On  the  arrival  of  a  ship,  the  debauchery  was  unbounded. 
Such  noted  pirates  as  Blackbeard,  Steed  Bonnet,  and  Avary  made  the 
place  their  rendezvous,  and  brought  thither  their  rich  prizes  and  wretched 
prisoners.  Blackbeard  was  one  of  the  most  desperate  pirates  of  the  age. 
He,  with  part  of  his  crew,  once  terrorized  the  officials  of  Charleston,  S.C., 
exacting  tribute  of  medicines  and  provisions.  Finally  he  was  killed  in 
action,  and  sixteen  of  his  desperate  gang  expiated  their  crimes  on  the 
gallows. 

To  Madagascar,  too,  often  came  the  two  female  pirates,  Mary  Read 
and  Anne  Bonny.  These  women,  masquerading  in  men's  clothing,  were 
as  desperate  and  bloody  as  the  men  by  whose  side  they  fought.  By 
a  strange  coincidence,  these  two  women  enlisted  on  the  same  ship. 
Each  knowing  her  own  sex,  and  being  ignorant  of  that  of  the  other,  they 
fell  in  love ;  and  the  final  discovery  of  their  mutual  deception  increased 
their  intimacy.  After  serving  with  the  pirates,  working  at  the  guns, 
swinging  a  cutlass  in  the  boarding  parties,  and  fighting  a  duel  in  which 
she  killed  her  opponent,  Mary  Read  determined  to  escape.  There  is 
every  evidence  that  she  wearied  of  the  evil  life  she  was  leading,  and 
was  determined  to  quit  it ;  but,  before  she  could  carry  her  intentions 
into  effect,  the  ship  on  which  she  served  was  captured,  and  taken  to 
England,  where  the  pirates  expiated  their  crimes  on  the  gallows,  Mary 
Read  dying  in  prison  before  the  day  set  for  her  execution. 


10  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

After  some  months  spent  in  licentious  revelry  at  Madagascar,  Kidd 
set  out  on  a  further  cruise.  During  this  voyage  he  learned  that  he  had 
been  proscribed  as  a  pirate,  and  a  price  set  on  his  head.  Strange  as 
it  may  appear,  this  news  was  a  surprise  to  him.  He  seems  to  have 
deceived  himself  into  thinking  that  his  acts  of  piracy  were  simply  the 
legitimate  work  of  a  privateersman.  For  a  time  he  knew  not  what 
to  do ;  but  as  by  this  time  the  coarse  pleasures  of  an  outlaw's  life  were 
distasteful  to  him,  he  determined  to  proceed  to  New  York,  and  endeavor 
to  prove  himself  an  honest  man.  This  determination  proved  to  be  an 
unfortunate  one  for  him  ;  for  hardly  had  he  arrived,  when  he  was  taken 
into  custody,  and  sent  to  England  for  -trial.  He  made  an  able  defence, 
but  was  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged ;  a  sentence  which 
was  executed  some  months  later,  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  multitude 
of  people,  who  applauded  in  the  death  of  Kidd  the  end  of  the  reign  of 
outlaws  upon  the  ocean. 


CHAPTER    II. 


EXPEDITIONS  AGAINST  NEIGHBORING  COLONIES.  —  ROMANTIC  CAREER  OF  SIR  WILLIAM  PHIPPS. 
—  QUELLING  A   MUTINY.  — EXPEDITIONS  AGAINST  QUEBEC. 

HILE  it  was  chiefly  in  expeditions  against  the  buccaneers,  or 
in  the  defence  of  merchantmen  against  these  predatory  gentry, 
that  the  American  colonists  gained  their  experience  in  naval 
warfare,  there  were,  nevertheless,  some  few  naval  expeditions 
fitted  out  by  the  colonists  against  the  forces  of  a  hostile  government. 
Both  to  the  north  and  south  lay  the  territory  of  France  and  Spain,  ^- 
England's  traditional  enemies ;  and  so  soon  as  the  colonies  began  to 
give  evidence  of  their  value  to  the  mother  country,  so  soon  were  th  ey 
dragged  into  the  quarrels  in  which  the  haughty  mistress  of  the  seas  was 
ever  plunged.  Of  the  southern  colonies,  South  Carolina  was  continually 
embroiled  with  Spain,  owing  to  the  conviction  of  the  Spanish  that  the 
boundaries  of  Florida  —  at  that  time  a  Spanish  colony  —  included  the 
greater  part  of  the  Carolinas.  For  the  purpose  of  enforcing  this  idea, 
the  Spaniards,  in  1706,  fitted  out  an  expedition  of  four  ships-of-war 
and  a  galley,  which,  under  the  command  of  a  celebrated  French  admiral, 
2  II 


12  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

was  despatched  to  take  Charleston.  The  people  of  Charleston  were  in 
no  whit  daunted,  and  on  the  receipt  of  the  news  of  the  expedition  began 
preparations  for  resistance.  They  had  no  naval  vessels ;  but  several 
large  merchantmen,  being  in  port,  were  hastily  provided  with  batteries, 
and  a  large  galley  was  converted  into  a  flag-ship.  Having  no  trained 
naval  officers,  the  command  of  the  improvised  squadron  was  tendered 
to  a  certain  Lieut. -Col.  Rhett,  who  possessed  the  confidence  of  the 
colonists.  Rhett  accepted  the  command  ;  and  when  the  attacking  party 
cast  anchor  some  miles  below  the  city,  and  landed  their  shore  forces, 

he    weighed    anchor,    and    set    out    to    attack    them.      But    the    Spaniards 

• 
avoided   the    conflict,    and    fled    out    to    sea,   leaving   their   land   forces    to 

bear  the  brunt  of  battle.  In  this  action,  more  than  half  of  the  invaders 
were  killed  or  taken  prisoners.  Some  days  later,  one  of  the  Spanish 
Aessels,  having  been  separated  from  her  consorts,  was  discovered  by 
Rhett,  who  attacked  her,  and  after  a  sharp  fight  captured  her,  bringing 
her  with  ninety  prisoners  to  Charleston. 

But  it  was  chiefly  in  expeditions  against  the  French  colonies  to 
the  northward  that  the  naval  strength  of  the  English  colonies  was 
exerted.  Particularly  were  the  colonies  of  Port  Royal,  in  Acadia,  and 
the  French  stronghold  of  Quebec  coveted  by  the  British,  and  they  proved 
fertile  sources  of  contention  in  the  opening  years  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  Although  the  movement  for  the  capture  of  these  colonies  was 
incited  by  the  ruling  authorities  of  Great  Britain,  its  execution  was  left 
largely  to  the  colonists.  One  of  the  earliest  of  these  expeditions  was 
that  which  sailed  from  Nantasket,  near  Boston,  in  April,  1690,  bound 
for  the  conquest  of  Port  Royal. 

This  expedition  was  under  the  command  of  Sir  William  Phipps. 
a  sturdy  colonist,  whose  life  was  not  devoid  of  romantic  episodes. 
Though  his  ambitions  were  of  the  lowliest,  —  his  dearest  wish  being  "to 
command  a  king's  ship,  and  own  a  fair  brick  house  in  the  Green  Lane 
of  North  Boston,"  —  he  managed  to  win  for  himself  no  small  amount  of 
fame  and  respect  in  the  colonies.  His  first  achievement  was  character 
istic  of  that  time,  when  Spanish  galleons,  freighted  with  golden  ingots, 
still  sailed  the  seas,  when  pirates  buried  their  booty,  and  when  the 
treasures  carried  down  in  sunken  ships  were  not  brought  up  the  next 
day  by  divers  clad  in  patented  submarine  armor.  From  a  weather-beaten 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


old  seaman,  with  whom  he  became  acquainted  while  pursuing  his  trade 
of  ship-carpentering,  Phipps  learned  of  a  sunken  wreck  lying  on  the 
sandy  bottom  many  fathoms  beneath  the  blue  surface  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  vessel  had  gone  down  fifty  years  before,  and  had  carried 
with  her  great  store  of  gold  and  silver,  which  she  was  carrying  from 
the  rich  mines  of  Central  and  South  America  to  the  Court  of  Spain. 
Phipps,  laboriously  toiling  with  adze  and  saw  in  his  ship-yard,  listened 
to  the  story  of  the  sailor,  his  blood  coursing  quicker  in  his  veins,  and 
his  ambition  for  wealth  and  position  aroused  to  its  fullest  extent.  Here, 
then,  thought  he,  was  the  opportunity  of  a  lifetime.  Could  he  but 
recover  the  treasures  carried  down  with  the  sunken  ship,  he  would  have 
wealth  and  position  in  the  colony.  With  these  two  allies  at  his  com 
mand,  the  task  of  securing  a  command  in  the  king's  navy  would  be  an 
easy  one.  But  to  seek  out  the  sunken  treasure  required  a  ship  and 
seamen.  Clearly  his  own  slender  means  could  never  meet  the  demands 
of  so  great  an  undertaking.  Therefore,  gathering  together  all  his  small 
savings,  William  Phipps  set  sail  for  England,  in  the  hopes  of  interesting 
capitalists  there  in  his  scheme.  By  dint  of  indomitable  persistence,  the 
unknown  American  ship-carpenter  managed  to  secure  the  influence  of 
certain  officials  of  high  station  in  England,  and  finally  managed  to  get 
the  assistance  of  the  British  admiralty.  A  frigate,  fully  manned,  was 
given  him,  and  he  set  sail  for  the  West  Indies. 

Once  arrived  in  the  waters  of  the  Spanish  Main,  he  began  his  search. 
Cruising  about  the  spot  indicated  by  his  seafaring  informant  as  the  location 
of  the  sunken  vessel,  sounding  and  dredging  occupied  the  time  of  the 
treasure-seekers  for  months.  The  crew,  wearying  of  the  fruitless  search, 
began  to  murmur,  and  signs  of  mutiny  were  rife.  Phipps,  filled  with 
thoughts  of  the  treasure  for  which  he  sought,  saw  not  at  all  the  lowering 
looks,  nor  heard  the  half-uttered  threats,  of  the  crew  as  he  passed  them.  But 
finally  the  mutiny  so  developed  that  he  could  no  longer  ignore  its  existence. 

It  was  then  the  era  of  the  buccaneers.  Doubtless  some  of  the  crew 
had  visited  the  outlaws'  rendezvous  at  New  Providence,  and  had  told  their 
comrades  of  the  revelry  and  ease  in  which  the  sea  robbers  spent  their 
days.  And  so  it  happened  that  one  day,  as  Phipps  stood  on  the  quarter 
deck  vainly  trying  to  choke  down  the  nameless  fear  that  had  begun  to 
oppress  him,  — the  fear  that  his  life's  venture  had  proved  a  failure, — his 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


crew  came  crowding  aft,  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  loudly  demanded  that 
the  captain  should  abandon  his  foolish  search,  and  lead  them  on  a  fear 
less  buccaneering  cruise  along  the  Spanish  Main.  The  mutiny  was  one 
which  might  well  have  dismayed  the  boldest  sea  captain.  The  men  were 
desperate,  and  well  armed.  Phipps  was  almost  without  support ;  for  his 
officers,  by  their  irresolute  and  timid  demeanor,  gave  him  little  assurance 
of  aid. 

Standing  on  the  quarter-deck,  Phipps  listened  impatiently  to  the  com 
plaints  of  the  mutineers  ;  but,  when  their  spokesman  called  upon  him  to 
lead  them  upon  a  piratical  cruise,  he  lost  all  control  of  himself,  and, 
throwing  all  prudence  to  the  winds,  sprung  into  the  midst  of  the  mal 
contents,  and  laid  about  him  right  manfully  with  his  bare  fists.  The 
mutineers  were  all  well  armed,  but  seemed  loath  to  use  their  weapons ; 
and  the  captain,  a  tall,  powerful  man,  soon  awed  them  all  into  submission. 

Though  he  showed  indomitable  energy  in  overcoming  obstacles, 
Phipps  was  not  destined  to  discover  the  object  of  his  search  at  this 
time ;  and,  after  several  months'  cruising,  he  was  forced,  by  the  leaky 
condition  of  his  vessel,  to  abandon  the  search.  But,  before  leaving  the 
waters  of  the  Spanish  Main,  he  obtained  enough  information  to  convince 
him  that  his  plan  was  a  practicable  one,  and  no  mere  visionary  scheme. 
On  reaching  England,  he  went  at  once  to  some  wealthy  noblemen,  and, 
laying  before  them  all  the  facts  in  his  possession,  so  interested  them  in 
the  project  that  they  readily  agreed  to  supply  him  with  a  fresh  outfit. 
After  a  few  weeks  spent  in  organizing  his  expedition,  the  treasure-seeker 
was  again  on  the  ocean,  making  his  way  toward  the  Mexican  Gulf.  This 
time  his  search  was  successful,  and  a  few  days'  work  with  divers  and 
dredges  about  the  sunken  ship  brought  to  light  bullion  and  specie  to 
the  amount  of  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  dollars.  As  his  ill 
success  in  the  first  expedition  had  embroiled  him  with  his  crew,  so  his 
good  fortune  this  time  aroused  the  cupidity  of  the  sailors.  Vague  rumors 
of  plotting  against  his  life  reached  the  ears  of  Phipps.  Examining 
further  into  the  matter,  he  learned  that  the  crew  was  plotting  to  seize 
the  vessel,  divide  the  treasure,  and  set  out  upon  a  buccaneering  cruise. 
Alarmed  at  this  intelligence,  Phipps  strove  to  conciliate  the  seamen  by 
offering  them  a  share  of  the  treasure.  Each  man  should  receive  a 
portion,  he  promised,  even  if  he  himself  had  to  pay  it.  The  men  agreed 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  15 

to  this  proposition ;  and  so  well  did  Phipps  keep  his  word  with  them  on 
returning  to  England,  that,  of  the  whole  treasure,  only  about  eighty  thou 
sand  dollars  remained  to  him  as  his  share.  This,  however,  was  an  ample 
fortune  for  those  times ;  and  with  it  Phipps  returned  to  Boston,  and  began 
to  devote  himself  to  the  task  of  securing  a  command  in  the  royal  navy. 

His  first  opportunity  to  distinguish  himself  came  in  the  expedition  of 
1690  against  Port  Royal.  Throughout  the  wars  between  France  and 
England,  the  French  settlement  of  Port  Royal  had  been  a  thorn  in  the 
flesh  of  Massachusetts.  From  Port  Royal,  the  trim-built  speedy  French 
privateers  put  to  sea,  and  seldom  returned  without  bringing  in  their 
wake  some  captured  coaster  or  luckless  fisherman  hailing  from  the 
colony  of  the  Puritans.  When  the  depredations  of  the  privateers  became 
unbearable,  Massachusetts  bestirred  herself,  and  the  doughty  Phipps  was 
sent  with  an  expedition  to  reduce  their  unneighborly  neighbor  to  sub 
jection.  Seven  vessels  and  two  hundred  and  eighty-eight  men  were  put 
under  the  command  of  the  lucky  treasure-hunter.  The  expedition  war- 
devoid  of  exciting  or  novel  features.  Port  Royal  was  reached  without 
disaster,  and  the  governor  surrendered  with  a  promptitude  which  should 
have  won  immunity  for  the  people  of  the  vplage.  But  the  Massachusetts 
sailors  had  not  undertaken  the  enterprise  for  glory  alone,  and  they 
plundered  the  town  before  taking  to  their  ships  again. 

This  expedition,  however,  was  but  an  unimportant  incident  in  the  naval 
annals  of  the  colonies.  It  was  followed  quickly  by  an  expedition  of  much 
graver  importance. 

When  Phipps  returned  after  capturing  and  plundering  Port  Royal, 
he  found  Boston  vastly  excited  over  the  preparations  for  an  expedition 
against  Quebec.  The  colony  was  in  no  condition  to  undertake  the  work 
of  conquest.  Prolonged  Indian  wars  had  greatly  depleted  its  treasury. 
Vainly  it  appealed  to  England  for  aid,  but,  receiving  no  encouragement, 
sturdily  determined  to  undertake  the  expedition  unaided.  Sailors  were 
pressed  from  the  merchant-shipping.  Trained  bands,  as  the  militia  of 
that  day  was  called,  drilled  in  the  streets,  and  on  the  common.  Subscrip 
tion  papers  were  being  circulated  ;  and  vessel  owners  were  blandly  given 
the  choice  between  voluntarily  loaning  their  vessels  to  the  colony,  or 
having  them  peremptorily  seized.  In  this  way  a  fleet  of  thirty-two  vessels 
had  been  collected;  the  largest  of  which  was  a  ship  called  the  "Six 


1 6  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 


Friends/'  built  for  the  West  India  trade,  and  carrying  forty-four  guns. 
This  armada  was  manned  by  seamen  picked  up  by  a  press  so  vigorous, 
that  Gloucester,  the  chief  ceafaring  town  of  the  colony,  was  robbed  of 
two-thirds  of  its  men.  Hardly  had  Capt.  Phipps,  flushed  with  victory, 
returned  from  his  Port  Royal  expedition,  when  he  was  given  command  of 
the  armada  destined  for  the  capture  of  Quebec. 

Early  in  August  the  flotilla  set  sail  from  Boston  Harbor.  The  day  was 
clear  and  warm,  with  a  light  breeze  blowing.  From  his  flag-ship  Phipps 
gave  the  signal  for  weighing  anchor,  and  soon  the  decks  of  the  vessels 
thickly  strewn  about  the  harbor  resounded  to  the  tread  of  men  about  the 
capstan.  Thirty-two  vessels  of  the  squadron  floated  lightly  on  the  calm 
waters  of  the  bay;  and  darting  in  and  out  among  them  were  light  craft 
carrying  pleasure -seekers  who  had  come  down  to  witness  the  sailing  of  the 
fleet,  friends  and  relatives  of  the  sailors  who  were  there  to  say  farewell, 
and  the  civic  dignitaries  who  came  to  wish  the  expedition  success.  One 
by  one  the  vessels  beat  their  way  down  the  bay,  and,  rounding  the  danger 
ous  reef  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  laid  their  course  to  the  northward. 
It  was  a  motley  fleet  of  vessels.  The  "Six  Brothers"  led  the  way, 
followed  by  brigs,  schooners,  and  many  sloop-rigged  fishing-smacks.  With 
so  ill-assorted  a  flotilla,  it  was  impossible  to  keep  any  definite  sailing  order. 
The  first  night  scattered  the  vessels  far  and  wide,  and  thenceforward 
the  squadron  was  not  united  until  it  again  came  to  anchor  just  above  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  It  seemed  as  though  the  very  elements  had 
combined  against  the  voyagers.  Though  looking  for  summer  weather,  they 
encountered  the  bitter  gales  of  November.  Only  after  they  had  all  safely 
entered  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  were  beyond  injury  from  the  storms,  did  the 
gales  cease.  They  had  suffered  all  the  injury  that  tempestuous  weather 
could  do  them,  and  they  then  had  to  chafe  under  the  enforced  restraints 
of  a  calm. 

Phipps  had  rallied  his  scattered  fleet,  and  had  proceeded  up  the  great 
river  of  the  North  to  within  three  days'  sail  of  Quebec,  when  the  calm 
overtook  him.  On  the  way  up  the  river  he  had  captured  two  French 
luggers,  and  learned  from  his  prisoners  that  Quebec  was  poorly  fortified, 
that  the  cannon  on  the  redoubts  were  dismounted,  and  that  hardly  two 
hundred  men  could  be  rallied  to  its  defence.  Highly  elated  at  this,  the 
Massachusetts  admiral  pressed  forward.  He  anticipated  that  Quebec, 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  17 

like  Port  Royal,  would  surrender  without  striking  a  blow.  Visions  of 
high  honors,  and  perhaps  even  a  commission  in  the  royal  navy,  floated 
across  his  brain.  And  while  thus  hurrying  forward  his  fleet,  drilling  his 
men,  and  building  his  air-castles,  his  further  progress  was  stopped  by  a 
dead  calm  which  lasted  three  weeks. 

How  fatal  to  his  hopes  that  calm  was,  Phipps,  perhaps,  never  knew. 
The  information  he  had  wrung  from  his  French  prisoners  was  absolutely 
correct.  Quebec  at  that  time  was  helpless,  and  virtually  at  his  mercy. 
But,  while  the  Massachusetts  armada  lay  idly  floating  on  the  unruffled 
bosom  of  the  river,  a  man  was  hastening  towards  Quebec  whose  timely 
arrival  meant  the  salvation  of  the  French  citadel. 

This  man  was  Frontenac,  then  governor  of  the  French  colony,  and 
one  of  the  most  picturesque  figures  in  American  history.  A  soldier  of 
France ;  a  polished  courtier  at  the  royal  court ;  a  hero  on  the  battle-field, 
and  a  favorite  in  the  ball-room  ;  a  man  poor  in  pocket,  but  rich  in  influ 
ential  connections,  —  Frontenac  had  come  to  the  New  World  to  seek  that 
fortune  and  position  which  he  had  in  vain  sought  in  the  Old.  When 
the  vague  rumors  of  the  hostile  expedition  of  the  Massachusetts  colony 
reached  his  ears,  Frontenac  was  far  from  Quebec,  toiling  in  the  western 
part  of  the  colony.  Wasting  no  time,  he  turned  his  steps  toward  the 
threatened  city.  His  road  lay  through  an  almost  trackless  wilderness ; 
his  progress  was  impeded  by  the  pelting  rains  of  the  autumnal  storms. 
But  through  forest  and  through  rain  he  rode  fiercely;  and  at  last  as  he 
burst  from  the  forest,  and  saw  towering  before  him  the  rocks  of  Cape 
Diamond,  a  cry  of  joy  burst  from  his  lips.  On  the  broad,  still  bosom  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  Bay  floated  not  a  single  hostile  sail.  The  soldier  had 
come  in  time. 

With  the  governor  in  the  city,  all  took  courage,  and  the  work  of 
preparation  for  the  coming  struggle  went  forward  with  a  rush.  Far  and 
wide  throughout  the  parishes  was  spread  the  news  of  war,  and  daily 
volunteer's  came  flocking  in  to  the  defence.  The  ramparts  were  strength 
ened,  and  cannon  mounted.  Volunteers  and  regulars  drilled  side  by  side, 
until  the  four  thousand  men  in  the  city  were  converted  into  a  well- 
disciplined  body  of  troops.  And  all  the  time  the  sentinels  on  the  Saut 
au  Matelot  were  eagerly  watching  the  river  for  the  first  sign  of  the 
English  invaders. 


1 8  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


It  was  before  dawn,  on  the  morning  of  Oct.  16,  that  the  people  of 
the  little  city,  and  the  soldiery  in  the  tents,  were  awakened  by  the 
alarm  raised  by  the  sentries.  All  rushed  to  the  brink  of  the  heights, 
and  peered  eagerly  out  into  the  darkness.  Far  down  the  river  could  be 
seen  the  twinkling  lights  of  vessels.  As  the  eager  watchers  strove  to 
count  them,  other  lights  appeared  upon  the  scene,  moving  to  and  fro, 
but  with  a  steady  advance  upon  Quebec.  The  gray  dawn,  breaking  in 
the  east,  showed  the  advancing  fleet.  Frontenac  and  his  lieutenants 
watched  the  ships  of  the  enemy  round  the  jutting  headland  of  the 
Point  of  Orleans ;  and,  by  the  time  the  sun  had  risen,  thirty-four  hostile 
craft  were  at  anchor  in  the  basin  of  Quebec. 

The  progress  of  the  fleet  up  the  river,  from  the  point  at  which  it 
had  been  so  long  delayed,  had  been  slow,  and  greatly  impeded  by  the 
determined  hostility  of  the  settlers  along  the  banks.  The  sailors  at 
their  work  were  apt  to  be  startled  by  the  whiz  of  a  bulht ;  and  an 
inquiry  as  to  the  cause  would  have  probably  discovered  some  crouching 
sharp-shooter,  his  long  rifle  in  his  hand,  hidden  in  a  clump  of  bushes 
along  the  shore.  Bands  of  armed  men  followed  the  fleet  up  the  stream, 
keeping  pace  with  the  vessels,  and  occasionally  affording  gentle  reminders 
of  their  presence  in  the  shape  of  volleys  of  rifle-balls  that  sung  through  the 
crowded  decks  of  the  transports,  and  gave  the  sailor  lads  a  hearty  disgust 
for  this  river  fighting.  Phipps  tried  repeatedly  to  land  shore  parties  to 
clear  the  banks  of  skirmishers,  and  to  move  on  the  city  by  land.  As 
often,  however,  as  he  made  the  effort,  his  troops  were  beaten  back  by 
the  ambushed  sharp-shooters,  and  his  boats  returned  to  the  ships,  bringing 
several  dead  and  wounded. 

While  the  soldiery  on  the  highlands  of  Quebec  were  eagerly  examining 
the  hostile  fleet,  the  invaders  were  looking  with  wonder  and  admiration 
at  the  scene  of  surpassing  beauty  spread  out  before  them.  Parkman, 
the  historian  and  lover  of  the  annals  of  the  French  in  America,  thus 
describes  it :  — 

"When,  after  his  protracted  voyage,  Phipps  sailed  into  the  basin 
of  Quebec,  one  of  the  grandest  scenes  on  the  western  continent  opened 
upon  his  sight.  The  wide  expanse  of  waters,  the  lofty  promontory  beyond, 
and  the  opposing  Heights  of  Levi,  the  cataract  of  Montmorenci,  the  distant 
range  of  the  Laurentian  Mountains,  the  warlike  rock  with  its  diadem 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  1 9 


of  walls  and  towers,  the  roofs  of  the  Lower  Town  clustering  on  the  strand 
beneath,  the  Chateau  St.  Louis  perched  at  the  brink  of  the  cliff,  and 
over  it  the  white  banner,  spangled  with  fleurs  de  /is,  flaunting  defiance 
in  the  clear  autumnal  air." 

Little  time  was  spent,  however,  in  admiration  of  the  scene.  When 
the  click  of  the  last  chain-cable  had  ceased,  and,  with  their  anchors 
reposing  at  the  bottom  of  the  stream,  the  ships  swung  around  with  their 
bows  to  the  current,  a  boat  put  off  from  the  flag-ship  bearing  an  officer 
intrusted  with  a  note  from  Phipps  to  the  commandant  of  the  fort.  The 
reception  of  this  officer  was  highly  theatrical.  Half  way  to  the  shore 
he  was  taken  into  a  French  canoe,  blindfolded,  and  taken  ashore.  The 
populace  crowded  about  him  as  he  landed,  hooting  and  jeering  him  as 
he  was  led  through  winding,  narrow  ways,  up  stairways,  and  over  obstruc 
tions,  until  at  last  the  bandage  was  torn  from  his  eyes,  and  he  found 
himself  in  the  presence  of  Frontenac.  The  French  commander  was  clad 
in  a  brilliant  uniform,  and  surrounded  by  his  staff,  gay  in  warlike  finery. 
With  courtly  courtesy  he  asked  the  envoy  for  his  letter,  which,  proving 
to  be  a  curt  summons  to  surrender,  he  answered  forthwith  in  a  stinging 
speech.  The  envoy,  abashed,  asked  for  a  written  answer. 

"  No,"  thundered  Frontenac,  "  I  will  answer  your  master  only  by  the 
mouths  of  my  cannon,  that  he  may  learn  that  a  man  like  me  is  not 
to  be  summoned  after  this  fashion.  Let  him  do  his  best,  and  I  will  do 
mine." 

The  envoy  returned  to  his  craft,  and  made  his  report.  The  next  day 
hostilities  opened.  Wheeling  his  ships  into  line  before  the  fortifications, 
Phipps  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  city.  From  the  frowning  ramparts 
on  the  heights,  Frontenac's  cannon  answered  in  kind.  Fiercely  the 
contest  raged  until  nightfall,  and  vast  was  the  consumption  of  gun 
powder;  but  damage  done  on  either  side  was  but  little.  All  night 
the  belligerents  rested  on  their  arms  ;  but,  at  daybreak,  the  roar  of  the 
cannonade  recommenced. 

The  gunners  of  the  opposing  forces  were  now  upon  their  mettle,  and 
the  gunnery  was  much  better  than  the  day  before.  A  shot  from  the  shore 
cut  the  flag-staff  of  the  admiral's  ship,  and  the  cross  of  St.  George 
fell  into  the  river.  Straightway  a  canoe  put  out  from  the  shore,  and 
with  swift,  strong  paddle-strokes  was  guided  in  chase  of  the  floating 
trophy.  The  fire  of  the  fleet  was  quickly  concentrated  uoon  the 


20  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

adventurous  canoeists.  Cannon-balls  and  rifle-bullets  cut  the  water  about 
them ;  but  their  frail  craft  survived  the  leaden  tempest,  and  they  captured 
the  trophy,  and  bore  it  off  in  triumph. 

Phipps  felt  that  the  incident  was  an  unfavorable  omen,  and  would 
discourage  his  men.  He  cast  about  in  his  mind  for  a  means  of  retaliation. 
Far  over  the  roofs  of  the  city  rose  a  tapering  spire,  that  of  the  cathedral 
in  the  Upper  Town.  On  this  spire,  the  devout  Catholics  of  the  French 
city  had  hung  a  picture  of  the  Holy  Family  as  an  invocation  of  Divine 
aid.  Through  his  spy-glass,  Phipps  could  see  that  some  strange  object 
hung  from  the  steeple,  and,  suspecting  its  character,  commanded  the 
gunners  to  try  to  knock  it  down.  For  hours  the  Puritans  wasted  their 
ammunition  in  this  vain  target-practice,  but  to  no  avail.  The  picture  still 
hung  on  high ;  and  the  devout  Frenchmen  ascribed  its  escape  to  a 
miracle,  although  its  destruction  would  have  been  more  miraculous  still. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  convince  Phipps  that  in  this  contest  his  fleet 
was  getting  badly  worsted,  and  he  soon  withdrew  his  vessels  to  a  place 
of  safety.  The  flag-ship  had  been  fairly  riddled  with  shot ;  and  her 
rigging  was  so  badly  cut,  that  she  could  only  get  out  of  range  of  the 
enemy's  guns  by  cutting  her  cables,  and  drifting  away  with  the  current. 
Her  example  was  soon  followed  by  the  remaining  vessels. 

Sorely  crestfallen,  Phipps  abandoned  the  fight,  and  prepared  to  return 
to  Boston.  His  voyage  thither  was  stormy ;  and  three  or  four  of  his 
vessels  never  were  heard  of,  having  been  clashed  to  pieces  by  the 
waves,  or  cast  away  upon  the  iron-bound  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  or  Maine. 
His  expedition  was  the  most  costly  in  lives  and  in  treasure  ever  under 
taken  by  a  single  colony,  and,  despite  its  failure,  forms  the  most  notable 
incident  in  the  naval  annals  of  the  colonies  prior  to  the  Revolution. 

The  French  colonies  continued  to  be  a  fruitful  source  of  war  and 
turmoil.  Many  were  the  joint  military  and  naval  expeditions  fitted  out 
against  them  by  the  British  colonies.  Quebec,  Louisbourg,  and  Port 
Royal  were  all  threatened  ;  and  the  two  latter  were  captured  by  colonial 
expeditions.  From  a  naval  point  of  view,  these  expeditions  were  but 
trifling.  They  are  of  some  importance,  however,  in  that  they  gave  the 
colonists  an  opportunity  to  try  their  prowess  on  the  ocean  ;  and  in  this 
irregular  service  were  bred  some  sailors  who  fought  right  valiantly  for 
the  rebellious  colonies  against  the  king,  and  others  who  did  no  less 
valiant  service  under  the  royal  banner. 


< 


CHAPTER   III. 


OPENING  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION.  —  THE 
AFFAIR  OF  THE  SCHOONER  "ST.  JOHN."  — 
THE  PRESS-GANG  AND  ITS  WORK.  —  THE  SLOOP 
"LIBERTY."  — DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  "  GASPEE." 
—  THE  BOSTON  TEA-PARTY. 


T  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into  an  account  of  the  causes  that  led  up 
to  the  revolt  of  the  American  Colonies  against  the  oppression  of 
King  George  and  his  subservient  Parliament.  The  story  of  the 
Stamp  Act,  the  indignation  of  the  Colonies,  their  futile  attempts 
to  convince  Parliament  of  the  injustice  of  the  measure,  the  stern  measures 
adopted  by  the  British  to  put  down  the  rising  insubordination,  the  Boston 
Massacre,  and  the  battles  at  Concord  and  Lexington  are  familiar  to  every 
American  boy.  But  not  every  young  American  knows  that  almost  the  first 
act  of  open  resistance  to  the  authority  of  the  king  took  place  on  the  water, 
and  was  to  some  extent  a  naval  action. 

The  revenue  laws,  enacted  by  the  English  Parliament  as  a  means  of 
extorting  money  from  the  Colonies,  were  very  obnoxious  to  the  people 
of  America.  Particularly  did  the  colonists  of  Rhode  Island  protest 
against  them,  and  seldom  lost  an  opportunity  to  evade  the  payment  of 
the  taxes. 

Between  Providence  and  Newport,  illicit  trade  nourished ;  and  the 
waters  of  Narragansett  Bay  were  dotted  with  the  sail  of  small  craft 
carrying  cargoes  on  which  no  duties  had  ever  been  paid.  In  order  to 
stop  this  nefarious  traffic,  armed  vessels  were  stationed  in  the  Bay,  with 
orders  to  chase  and  search  all  craft  suspected  of  smuggling.  The  presence 
of  these  vessels  gave  great  offence  to  the  colonists,  and  the  inflexible 

21 


22  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

manner  in  which  the  naval  officers  discharged  their  duty  caused  more 
than  one  open  defiance  of  the  authority  of  King  George. 

The  first  serious  trouble  to  grow  out  of  the  presence  of  the  British 
cruisers  in  the  bay  was  the  affair  of  the  schooner  "St.  John."  This  vessel 
was  engaged  in  patrolling  the  waters  of  the  bay  in  search  of  smugglers. 
While  so  engaged,  her  commander,  Lieut.  Hill,  learned  that  a  brig  had 
discharged  a  suspicious  cargo  at  night  near  Rowland's  Ferry.  Running 
down  to  that  point  to  investigate,  the  king's  officers  found  the  cargo  to 
consist  of  smuggled  goods  ;  and,  leaving  a  few  men  in  charge,  the  cruiser 
hastily  put  out  to  sea  in  pursuit  of  the  smuggler.  The  swift  sailing 
schooner  soon  overtook  the  brig,  and  the  latter  was  taken  in  to  Newport 
as  a  prize.  Although  this  affair  occurred  early  in  1764,  the  sturdy  colonists 
even  then  had  little  liking  for  the  officers  of  the  king.  The  sailors  of  the 
"  St.  John,"  careless  of  the  evident  dislike  of  the  citizens  of  the  town, 
swaggered  about  the  streets,  boasting  of  their  capture,  and  making  merry 
at  the  expense  of  the  Yankees.  Two  or  three  fights  between  sailors  and 
townspeople  so  stirred  up  the  landsmen,  that  they  determined  to  destroy 
the  "  St.  John,"  and  had  actually  fitted  up  an  armed  sloop  for  that  purpose, 
when  a  second  man-of-war  appeared  in  the  harbor  and  put  a  final  stopper 
to  the  project.  Though  thus  balked  of  their  revenge,  the  townspeople 
showed  their  hatred  for  the  king's  navy  by  seizing  a  battery,  and  firing 
several  shots  at  the  two  armed  vessels,  but  without  effect. 

During  the  same  year,  the  little  town  of  Newport  again  gave  evidence 
of  the  growth  of  the  revolutionary  spirit.  This  time  the  good  old  British 
custom  of  procuring  sailors  for  the  king's  ships  by  a  system  of  kidnapping, 
commonly  known  as  impressment,  was  the  cause  of  the  outbreak.  For 
some  months  the  British  man-of-war  "  Maidstone "  lay  in  the  harbor  of 
Newport,  idly  tugging  at  her  anchors.  It  was  a  period  of  peace,  and  her 
officers  had  nothing  to  occupy  their  attention.  Therefore  they  devoted 
themselves  to  increasing  the  crew  of  the  vessel  by  means  of  raids  upon 
the  taverns  along  the  water-front  of  the  city. 

The  seafaring  men  of  Newport  knew  little  peace  while  the  "  Maidstone  " 
was  in  port.  The  king's  service  was  the  dread  of  every  sailor ;  and,  with 
the  press-gang  nightly  walking  the  streets,  no  sailor  could  feel  secure.  All 
knew  the  life  led  by  the  sailors  on  the  king's  ships.  Those  were  the  days 
when  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  flourished,  and  the  command  of  a  beardless  bit  of 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  23 

a  midshipmen  was  enough  to  send  a  poor  fellow  to  the  gratings,  to  have 
his  back  cut  to  pieces  by  the  merciless  lash.  The  Yankee  sailors  had 
little  liking  for  this  phase  of  sea-life,  and  they  gave  the  men-of-war  a  wide 
berth. 

Often  it  happened,  however,  that  a  party  of  jolly  manners  sitting  ovei 
their  pipes  and  grog  in  the  snug  parlor  of  some  sea-shore  tavern,  spinning 
yarns  of  the  service  they  had  seen  on  the  gun-decks  of  his  Majesty's  ships, 
or  of  shipwreck  and  adventure  in  the  merchant  service,  would  start  up  and 
listen  in  affright,  as  the  measured  tramp  of  a  body  of  men  came  up  the 
street.  Then  came  the  heavy  blow  on  the  door. 

"Open  in  the  king's  name,"  shouts  a  gruff  voice  outside;  and  the 
entrapped  sailors,  overturning  the  lights,  spring  for  doors  and  windows,  in 
vain  attempts  to  escape  the  fate  in  store  for  them.  The  press-gang  seldom 
returned  to  the  ship  empty  handed,  and  the  luckless  tar  who  once  fell 
into  their  clutches  was  wise  to  accept  his  capture  good  naturedly ;  for 
the  bos'n's  cat  was  the  remedy  commonly  prescribed  for  sulkiness. 

As  long  as  the  "Maidstone"  lay  in  the  harbor  of  Newport,  raids 
such  as  this  were  of  common  occurrence.  The  people  of  the  city 
grumbled  a  little ;  but  it  was  the  king's  will,  and  none  dared  oppose  it. 
The  wives  and  sweethearts  of  the  kidnapped  sailors  shed  many  a  bitter 
tear  over  the  disappearance  of  their  husbands  and  lovers  ;  but  what  were 
the  tears  of  women  to  King  George?  And  so  the  press-gang  of  the 
"  Maidstone "  might  have  continued  to  enjoy  unopposed  the  stirring 
sport  of  hunting  men  like  beasts,  had  the  leaders  not  committed  one 
atrocious  act  of  inhumanity  that  roused  the  long-suffering  people  to 
resistance. 

One  breezy  afternoon,  a  stanch  brig,  under  full  sail,  came  up  the 
bay,  and  entered  the  harbor  of  Newport.  Her  sides  were  weather-beaten, 
and  her  dingy  sails  and  patched  cordage  showed  that  she  had  just 
completed  her  long  voyage.  Her  crew,  a  fine  set  of  bronzed  and  hardy 
sailors,  were  gathered  on  her  forecastle,  eagerly  regarding  the  cluster  of 
cottages  that  made  up  the  little  town  of  Newport.  In  those  cottages 
were  many  loved  ones,  wives,  mothers,  and  sweethearts,  whom  the  brave 
fellows  had  not  seen  for  long  and  weary  months  ;  for  the  brig  was  just 
returning  from  a  voyage  to  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 

It  is  hard  to  describe  the  feelings  aroused  by  the  arrival  of  a  ship  in 


24  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

port  after  a  long  voyage.  From  the  outmost  end  of  the  longest  wharf 
the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  sailors  eagerly  watch  the  approaching 
vessel,  striving  to  find  in  her  appearance  some  token  of  the  safety  of 
the  loved  ones  on  board.  If  a  flag  hangs  at  half-mast  in  the  rigging, 
bitter  is  the  suspense,  and  fearful  the  dread,  of  each  anxious  waiter,  lest 
her  husband  or  lover  or  son  be  the  unfortunate  one  whose  death  is 
mourned.  And  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  the  excitement  is  no  less  great. 
Even  the  hardened  breast  of  the  sailor  swells  with  emotion  when  he 
first  catches  sight  of  his  native  town,  after  long  months  of  absence. 
With  eyes  sharpened  by  constant  searching  for  objects  upon  the  broad 
bosom  of  the  ocean,  he  scans  the  waiting  crowd,  striving  to  distinguish 
in  the  distance  some  well-beloved  face.  His  spirits  are  light  with  the 
happy  anticipation  of  a  season  in  port  with  his  loved  ones,  and  he 
discharges  his  last  duties  before  leaving  the  ship  with  a  blithe  heart. 

So  it  was  with  the  crew  of  the  home-coming  brig.  Right  merrily 
they  sung  out  their  choruses  as  they  pulled  at  the  ropes,  and  brought 
the  vessel  to  anchor.  The  rumble  of  the  hawser  through  the  hawse- 
holes  was  sweet  music  to  their  ears ;  and  so  intent  were  they  upon  the 
crowd  on  the  dock,  that  they  did  not  notice  two  long-boats  which  had 
put  off  from  the  man-of-war,  and  were  pulling  for  the  brig.  The  captain 
of  the  merchantman,  however,  noticed  the  approach  of  the  boats,  and 
wondered  what  it  meant.  "Those  fellows  think  I've  smuggled  goods 
aboard,"  said  he.  "  However,  they  can  spend  their  time  searching  if 
they  want.  I've  nothing  in  the  hold  I'm  afraid  to  have  seen." 

The  boats  were  soon  alongside ;  and  two  or  three  officers,  with  a 
handful  of  jackies,  clambered  aboard  the  brig. 

"  Muster  your  men  aft,  captain,"  said  the  leader,  scorning  any  response 
to  the  captain's  salutation.  "The  king  has  need  of  a  few  fine  fellows 
for  his  service." 

"  Surely,  sir,  you  are  not  about  to  press  any  of  these  men,"  protested 
the  captain.  "They  are  just  returning  after  a  long  voyage,  and  have 
not  yet  seen  their  families." 

"  What's  that  to  me,  sir  ? "  was  the  response.  "  Muster  your  crew 
without  more  words." 

Sullenly  the  men  came  aft,  and  ranged  themselves  in  line  before  the 
boarding-officers.  Each  feared  lest  he  might  be  one  of  those  chosen  to 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  25 

fill  the  ship's  roll  of  the  "  Maidstone  ; "  yet  each  cherished  the  hope  that 
he  might  be  spared  to  go  ashore,  and  see  the  loved  ones  whose  greeting  he 
had  so  fondly  anticipated. 

The  boarding-officers  looked  the  crew  over,  and,  after  consulting 
together,  gruffly  ordered  the  men  to  go  below,  and  pack  up  their  traps. 

"  Surely  you  don't  propose  to  take  my  entire  crew  ? "  said  the 
captain  of  the  brig  in  wondering  indignation. 

"  I  know  my  business,  sir,"  was  the  gruff  reply,  "  and  I  do  not  propose 
to  suffer  any  more  interference." 

The  crew  of  the  brig  soon  came  on  deck,  carrying  their  bags  of 
clothes,  and  were  ordered  into  the  man-o'-war's  boats,  which  speedily 
conveyed  them  to  their  floating  prison.  Their  fond  visions  of  home  had 
been  rudely  dispelled.  They  were  now  enrolled  in  his  Majesty's  service, 
and  subject  to  the  will  of  a  blue-coated  tyrant.  This  was  all  their 
welcome  home. 

When  the  news  of  this  cruel  outrage  reached  the  shore,  the  indignation 
of  the  people  knew  no  bounds.  The  thought  of  their  fellow-townsmen 
thus  cruelly  deprived  of  their  liberty,  at  the  conclusion  of  a  long  and 
perilous  voyage,  set  the  whole  village  in  a  turmoil.  Wild  plots  were 
concocted  for  the  destruction  of  the  man-of-war,  that,  sullen  and  unyielding, 
lay  at  her  anchorage  in  the  harbor.  But  the  wrong  done  was  beyond 
redress.  The  captured  men  were  not  to  be  liberated.  There  was  no 
ordnance  in  the  little  town  to  compete  with  the  guns  of  the  "  Maidstone," 
and  the  enraged  citizens  could  only  vent  their  anger  by  impotent  threats 
and  curses.  Bands  of  angry  men  and  boys  paraded  the  streets,  crying, 
'  Down  with  the  press-gang,"  and  invoking  the  vengeance  of  Heaven 
upon  the  officers  of  the  man-of-war.  Finally,  they  found  a  boat  belonging 
to  the  "  Maidstone "  lying  at  a  wharf.  Dragging  this  ashore,  the  crowd 
procured  ropes,  and,  after  pulling  the  captured  trophy  up  and  down  the 
streets,  took  it  to  the  common  in  front  of  the  Court-House,  where  it  was 
burned  in  the  presence  of  a  great  crowd,  which  heaped  execrations  upon  the 
heads  of  the  officers  of  the  "  Maidstone,"  and  King  George's  press-gang. 

After  this  occurrence,  there  was  a  long  truce  between  the  people  of 
Newport  and  the  officers  of  the  British  navy.  But  the  little  town  was 
intolerant  of  oppression,  and  the  revolutionary  spirit  broke  out  again 
in  1769.  Historians  have  eulogized  Boston  as  the  cradle  of  liberty,  and 


26  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

by  the  British  pamphleteers  of  that  era  the  Massachusetts  city  was  often 
called  a  hot-bed  of  rebellion.  It  would  appear,  however,  that,  while 
the  people  of  Boston  were  resting  contentedly  under  the  king's  rule,  the 
citizens  of  Newport  were  chafing  under  the  yoke,  and  were  quick  to 
resist  any  attempts  at  tyranny. 

It  is  noticeable,  that,  in  each  outbreak  of  the  people  of  Newport 
against  the  authority  of  the  king's  vessels,  the  vigor  of  the  resistance 
increased,  and  their  acts  of  retaliation  became  bolder.  Thus  in  the  affair 
of  the  "St.  John"  the  king's  vessel  was  fired  on,  while  in  the  affair  of 
the  "  Maidstone  "  the  royal  property  was  actually  destroyed.  In  the  later 
affairs  with  the  sloop  "  Liberty  "  and  the  schooner  "  Gaspee,"  the  revolt 
of  the  colonists  was  still  more  open,  and  the  consequences  more  serious. 

In  1769  the  armed  sloop  "  Liberty,"  Capt.  Reid,  was  stationed  in 
Narragansett  Bay  for  the  purpose  of  enforcing  the  revenue  laws.  Her 
errand  made  her  obnoxious  to  the  people  on  the  coast,  and  the  extraordinary 
zeal  of  her  captain  in  discharging  his  duty  made  her  doubly  detested  by 
seafaring  people  afloat  or  shore. 

On  the  i/th  of  July  the  "Liberty,"  while  cruising  near  the  mouth 
of  the  bay,  sighted  a  sloop  and  a  brig  under  full  sail,  bound  out.  Promptly 
giving  chase,  the  armed  vessel  soon  overtook  the  merchantmen  sufficiently 
to  send  a  shot  skipping  along  the  crests  of  the  waves,  as  a  polite 
ivitation  to  stop.  The  two  vessels  hove  to,  and  a  boat  was  sent 
trom  the  man-of-war  to  examine  their  papers,  and  see  if  all  was  right. 
Though  no  flaw  was  found  in  the  papers  of  either  vessel,  Capt.  Reid 
determined  to  take  them  back  to  Newport,  which  was  done.  In  the  harbor 
the  two  vessels  were  brought  to  anchor  under  the  guns  of  the  armed 
sloop,  and  without  any  reason  or  explanation  were  kept  there  several 
days.  After  submitting  to  this  wanton  detention  for  two  days,  Capt. 
Packwood  of  the  brig  went  on  board  the  "  Liberty "  to  make  a  protest 
to  Capt.  Reid,  and  at  the  same  time  to  get  some  wearing  apparel  taken 
from  his  cabin  at  the  time  his  vessel  had  been  captured.  On  reaching 
the  deck  of  the  armed  vessel,  he  found  Capt.  Reid  absent,  and  his  request 
for  his  property  was  received  with  ridicule.  Hot  words  soon  led  to 
violence ;  and  as  Capt.  Packwood  stepped  in  to  his  boat  to  return  to  his 
ship,  he  was  fired  at  several  times,  none  of  the  shots  taking  effect. 

The  news  of  this  assault  spread  like  wildfire  in  the  little  town.     The 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  27 


people  congregated  on  the  streets,  demanding  reparation.  The  authorities 
sent  a  message  to  Capt.  Reid,  demanding  that  the  man  who  fired  the 
shots  be  given  up.  Soon  a  boat  came  from  the  "  Liberty,"  bringing  a 
man  who  was  handed  over  to  the  authorities  as  the  culprit.  A  brief 
examination  into  the  case  showed  that  the  man  was  not  the  guilty 
party,  and  that  his  surrender  was  a  mere  subterfuge.  The  people  then 
determined  to  be  trifled  with  no  longer,  and  made  preparations  to  take 
vengeance  upon  the  insolent  oppressors. 

The  work  of  preparation  went  on  quietly ;  and  by  nightfall  a  large 
number  of  men  had  agreed  to  assemble  at  a  given  signal,  and  march 
upon  the  enemy.  Neither  the  authorities  of  the  town  nor  the  officers 
on  the  threatened  vessel  were  given  any  intimation  of  the  impending 
outbreak.  Yet  the  knots  of  men  who  stood  talking  earnestly  on  the 
street  corners,  or  looked  significantly  at  the  trim  navy  vessel  lying  in 
the  harbor,  might  have  well  given  cause  for  suspicion. 

That  night,  just  as  the  dusk  was  deepening  into  dark,  a  crowd  of 
men  marched  down  the  street  to  a  spot  where  a  number  of  boats  lay 
hidden  in  the  shadow  of  a  wharf.  Embarking  in  these  silently,  they 
bent  to  the  oars  at  the  whispered  word  of  command ;  and  the  boats  were 
soon  gliding  swiftly  over  the  smooth,  dark  surface  of  the  harbor,  toward 
the  sloop-of-war.  As  they  drew  near,  the  cry  of  the  lookout  rang  out,  — 

"Boat  ahoy!" 

No  answer.     The  boats,  crowded  with  armed  men,  still  advanced. 

"Boat  ahoy!     Answer,  or  I'll  fire." 

And,  receiving  no  response,  the  lookout  gave  the  alarm,  and  the 
watch  came  tumbling  up,  just  in.  time  to  be  driven  below  or  disarmed 
by  the  crowd  of  armed  men  that  swarmed  over  the  gunwale  of  the 
vessel.  There  was  no  bloodshed.  The  crew  of  the  "Liberty"  was  fairly 
surprised,  and  made  no  resistance.  The  victorious  citizens  cut  the 
sloop's  cables,  and  allowed  her  to  float  on  shore  near  Long  Wharf. 
Then,  feeling  sure  that  their  prey  could  not  escape  them,  they  cut  away 
her  masts,  liberated  their  captives,  and  taking  the  sloop's  boats,  dragged 
them  through  the  streets  to  the  common,  where  they  were  burned  on  a 
triumphal  bonfire,  amid  the  cheers  of  the  populace. 

But  the  exploit  was  not  to  end  here.  With  the  high  tide  the  next 
day,  the  hulk  of  the  sloop  floated  away,  and  drifted  ashore  again  on 


28  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

Goat  Island.  When  night  fell,  some  adventurous  spirits  stealthily  went 
over,  and,  applying  the  torch  to  the  stranded  ship,  burned  it  to  the 
water's  edge.  Thus  did  the  people  of  Newport  resist  tyranny. 

It  may  well  be  imagined  that  so  bold  a  defiance  of  the  royal 
authority  caused  a  great  sensation.  Prolonged  and  vigorous  were  the 
attempts  of  the  servants  of  the  king  to  find  out  the  rebellious  parties 
who  had  thus  destroyed  his  Majesty's  property.  But  their  efforts  were 
in  vain.  The  identity  of  the  captors  of  the  "  Liberty "  was  carefully 
concealed,  and  even  to  this  day  none  of  their  names  has  become  known. 
But,  before  the  people  of  Newport  had  done  talking  about  this  affair, 
another  outbreak  occurred,  which  cast  the  capture  and  destruction  of 
the  "  Liberty"  into  the  shade. 

This  was  the  affair  of  the  "  Gaspee,"  —  considered  by  many  historians 
the  virtual  opening  of  the  revolutionary  struggle  of  the  Colonies  against 
Great  Britain.  The  "Gaspee,"  like  the  "St.  John"  and  the  "Liberty," 
was  an  armed  vessel  stationed  in  Narragansett  Bay  to  enforce  the 
revenue.  She  was  commanded  by  Lieut.  Dudingston  of  the  British 
navy,  and  carried  eight  guns.  By  pursuing  the  usual  tactics  of  the 
British  officers  stationed  on  the  American  coast,  Duddingston  had  made 
himself  hated ;  and  his  vessel  was  marked  for  destruction.  Not  a  boat 
could  pass  between  Providence  and  Newport  without  being  subjected  to 
search  by  the  crew  of  the  "  Gaspee ; "  and  the  Yankee  sailors  swore 
darkly,  that,  when  the  time  was  ripe,  they  would  put  an  end  to  the 
Britisher's  officious  meddling. 

The  propitious  time  arrived  one  bright  June  morning  in  the  year 
1772,  when  the  "Gaspee"  gave  chase  to  a  Newport  packet  which  was 
scudding  for  Providence,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Thomas  Lindsey. 
The  armed  vessel  was  a  clean-cut  little  craft,  and,  carrying  no  heavier 
load  than  a  few  light  guns  of  the  calibre  then  in  vogue,  could  overhaul 
with  ease  almost  any  merchantman  on  the  coast.  So  on  this  eventful 
day  she  was  rapidly  overhauling  the  chase,  when,  by  a  blunder  of  the 
pilot,  she  was  run  hard  and  fast  upon  a  spit  of  sand  running  out  from 
Namquit  Point,  and  thus  saw  her  projected  prize  sail  away  in  triumph. 

But  the  escape  of  her  prize  was  not  the  greatest  disaster  that  was 
to  befall  the  "  Gaspee "  that  day.  Lindsey,  finding  himself  safe  from 
the  clutches  of  the  enemy,  continued  his  course  to  Providence,  and  on 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  29 


arriving  at  that  city  reported  the  condition  of  the  "Gaspee"  to  a 
prominent  citizen,  who  straightway  determined  to  organize  an  expedition 
for  the  destruction  of  the  pest  of  marine  traffic.  He  therefore  gave 
orders  to  a  trusty  ship-master  to  collect  eight  of  the  largest  long-boats 
in  the  harbor,  and,  having  muffled  their  oars  and  rowlocks,  place  them 
at  Fenner's  Wharf,  near  a  noted  tavern. 

That  night,  soon  after  sunset,  as  the  tradesmen  were  shutting  up 
their  shops,  and  the  laboring  men  were  standing  on  the  streets  talking 
after  their  day's  work,  a  man  passed  down  the  middle  of  each  street, 
beating  a  drum,  and  crying  aloud,  — 

"  The  schooner  '  Gaspee '  is  ashore  on  Namquit  Point.  Who  will 
help  destroy  her  ? " 

All  who  expressed  a  desire  to  join  in  the  enterprise  were  directed  to 
repair  to  the  Sabin  House  ;  and  thither,  later  in  the  evening,  flocked 
many  of  the  townspeople,  carrying  guns,  powder-flasks,  and  bullet-pouches. 
Within  the  house  all  was  life  and  bustle.  The  great  hall  was  crowded 
with  determined  men,  discussing  the  plan  of  attack.  Guns  stood  in 
every  corner,  while  down  in  the  kitchen  a  half  a  dozen  men  stood  about 
a  glowing  fire  busily  casting  bullets.  At  last,  all  being  prepared,  the 
party  crossed  the  street  to  the  dock,  and  embarked, — a  veteran  sea-captain 
taking  the  tiller  of  each  boat. 

On  the  way  down  the  harbor  the  boats  stopped,  and  took  aboard 
a  number  of  paving-stones  and  stout  clubs,  as  weapons  for  those  who 
had  no  muskets.  After  this  stoppage  the  boats  continued  on  their  way, 
until,  when  within  sixty  yards  of  the  "Gaspee,"  the  long-drawn  hail, 
"  Who  comes  there  ?  "  rang  out  over  the  water.  No  answer  was  made, 
and  the  lookout  quickly  repeated  his  hail.  Capt.  Whipple,  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  attack,  then  responded, — 

"  I  want  to  come  on  board." 

Dudingston,  who  was  below  at  the  time,  rushed  on  deck,  exclaiming, 
"  Stand  off.  You  can't  come  aboard." 

As  Dudingston  stood  at  the  side  of  the  "  Gaspee "  warning  off  the 
assailants,  he  presented  a  good  mark  ;  and  Joseph  Bucklin,  who  pulled  an 
oar  in  the  leading  boat,  turned  to  a  comrade  and  said,  "  Ephe,  lend  me 
your  gun,  and  I  can  kill  that  fellow."  The  gun  was  accordingly  handed 
him,  and  he  fired.  Dudingston  fell  to  the  deck.  Just  as  the  shot  was 


30  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

fired,  the  leader  of  the  assailants  cried  out, — 

"I  am  sheriff  of  the  county  of  Kent.  I  am  come  for  the  commander  of 
this  vessel ;  and  have  him  I  will,  dead  or  alive.  Men,  spring  to  your  oars/' 

In  an  instant  the  boats  were  under  the  lee  of  the  schooner,  and  the 
attacking  party  was  clambering  over  the  side.  The  first  man  to  attempt 
to  board  seized  a  rope,  and  was  clambering  up,  when  one  of  the  British 
cut  the  rope,  and  let  him  fall  into  the  water.  He  quickly  recovered 
himself,  and  was  soon  on  deck,  where  he  found  his  comrades  driving  the 
crew  of  the  "  Gaspee  "  below,  and  meeting  with  but  little  resistance. 

A  surgeon  who  was  with  the  party  of  Americans  led  the  boarders 
below,  and  began  the  task  of  tying  the  hands  of  the  captured  crew  with 
strong  tarred  cord.  While  thus  engaged,  he  was  called  on  deck. 

"What  is  wanted,  Mr.  Brown?"  asked  he,  calling  the  name  of  the 
person  inquiring  for  him. 

"Don't  call  names,  but  go  immediately  into  the  cabin,"  was  the 
response.  "There  is  one  wounded,  and  will  bleed  to  death." 

The  surgeon  went  into  the  captain's  cabin,  and  there  found  Dudingston, 
severely  wounded,  and  bleeding  freely.  Seeing  no  cloth  suitable  for 
bandages,  the  surgeon  opened  his  vest,  and  began  to  tear  his  own  shirt 
into  strips  to  bind  up  the  wound.  With  the  tenderest  care  the  hurt 
of  the  injured  officer  was  attended  to  ;  and  he  was  gently  lowered  into 
a  boat,  and  rowed  up  the  river  to  Providence. 

The  Americans  remained  in  possession  of  the  captured  schooner,  and 
quickly  began  the  work  of  demolition.  In  the  captain's  cabin  were 
a  number  of  bottles  of  liquor,  and  for  these  the  men  made  a  rush ;  but 
the  American  surgeon  dashed  the  bottles  to  pieces  with  the  heels  of  his 
heavy  boots,  so  that  no  scenes  of  drunkenness  were  enacted.  After 
breaking  up  the  furniture  and  trappings  of  the  craft,  her  people  were 
bundled  over  the  side  into  the  boats  of  their  captors,  and  the  torch  was 
set  to  the  schooner.  The  boats  lay  off  a  little  distance  until  the  roaring 
flames  satisfied  them  that  the  "  Gaspee "  would  never  again  annoy 
American  merchantmen.  As  the  schooner's  shotted  guns  went  off  one 
after  the  other,  the  Americans  turned  their  boats'  prows  homeward,  and 
soon  dispersed  quietly  to  their  homes. 

It  is  almost  incredible  that  the  identity  of  the  parties  to  this 
expedition  was  kept  a  secret  until  long  after  the  Revolution.  Although 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  31 

the  British  authorities  made  the  most  strenuous  efforts,  and  offered  huge 
rewards  for  the  detection  of  the  culprits,  not  one  was  discovered  until 
after  the  Colonies  had  thrown  off  the  royal  yoke,  when  they  came  boldly 
forward,  and  boasted  of  their  exploit. 

After  the  destruction  of  the  "  Gaspee,"  the  colonists  in  no  way  openly 
opposed  the  authority  of  the  king,  until  the  time  of  those  stirring  events 
immediately  preceding  the  American  Revolution.  Little  was  done  on 
the  water  to  betoken  the  hatred  of  the  colonists  for  King  George.  The 
turbulent  little  towns  of  Providence  and  Newport  subsided,  and  the  scene 
of  revolt  was  transferred  to  Massachusetts,  and  particularly  to  Boston. 
In  the  streets  of  Boston  occurred  the  famous  massacre,  and  at  the 
wharves  of  Boston  lay  the  three  ships  whose  cargo  aroused  the  ire  of 
the  famous  Boston  tea-party. 

To  almost  every  young  American  the  story  of  the  Boston  tea-party 
is  as  familiar  as  his  own  name,  —  how  the  British  Parliament  levied  a  tax 
upon  tea,  how  the  Colonies  refused  to  pay  it,  and  determined  to  use  none 
of  the  article ;  how  British  merchants  strove  to  force  the  tea  upon  the 
unwilling  colonists,  and  how  the  latter  refused  to  permit  the  vessels  to 
unload,  and  in  some  cases  drove  them  back  to  England.  At  Philadelphia, 
Annapolis,  Charleston,  Newport,  and  Providence,  disturbances  took  place 
over  the  arrival  of  the  tea-ships;  but  at  Boston  the  turbulence  was  the 
greatest. 

The  story  of  that  dramatic  scene  in  the  great  drama  of  American 
revolution  has  been  told  too  often  to  bear  repetition.  The  arrival  of 
three  ships  laden  with  tea  aroused  instant  indignation  in  the  New  England 
city.  Mass  meetings  were  held,  the  captains  of  the  vessels  warned  not 
to  attempt  to  unload  their  cargoes,  and  the  consignees  were  terrified 
into  refusing  to  have  any  thing  to  do  with  the  tea. 

In  the  midst  of  an  indignation  meeting  held  at  the  Old  South  Church, 
a  shrill  war-whoop  resounded  from  one  of  the  galleries.  The  startled 
audience,  looking  in  that  direction,  saw  a  person  disguised  as  a  Mohawk 
Indian,  who  wildly  waved  his  arms  and  shouted,  — 

"Boston  Harbor  a  tea-pot  to-night!     Hurrah  for  Griffin's  Wharf." 

In  wild  excitement  the  meeting  adjourned,  and  the  people  crowded 
out  into  the  streets.  Other  Indians  were  seen  running  down  the  streets 
in  the  direction  of  Griffin's  Wharf,  where  the  tea-ships  were  moored,  and 
thither  the  people  turned  their  steps. 


32  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

On  reaching  the  wharf,  a  scene  of  wild  confusion  was  witnessed.  The 
three  tea-ships  lay  side  by  side  at  the  wharf.  Their  decks  were  crowded 
with  men,  many  of  them  wearing  the  Indian  disguise.  The  hatches  were 
off  the  hatchways  ;  and  the  chests  of  tea  were  being  rapidly  passed  up, 
broken  open,  and  thrown  overboard.  There  was  little  noise,  as  the 
workers  seemed  to  be  well  disciplined,  and  went  about  their  work  in 
the  bright  moonlight  with  systematic  activity.  In  about  three  hours  the 
work  was  done.  Three  hundred  and  forty-two  chests  of  tea  had  been 
thrown  overboard,  and  the  rioters  dispersed  quietly  to  their  homes. 

The  incident  of  the  destruction  of  the  tea  in  Boston  Harbor  was  the  last 
of  the  petty  incidents  that  led  up  to  the  American  Revolution.  Following 
quick  upon  it  came  Lexington,  Concord,  and  Bunker  Hill,  —  then  the 
great  conflict  was  fairly  under  way,  and  the  Colonies  were  fighting  for 
liberty.  What  part  the  sailors  of  the  colonies  took  in  that  struggle,  it  is 
the  purpose  of  this  book  to  recount. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  NAVY.  —  LEXINGTON 
AND  CONCORD.  — A  BLOW  STRUCK  IN  MAINE. 
-CAPTURE  OF  THE  "  MARGARETTA."  —  GEN. 
WASHINGTON  AND  THE  NAVY.  — WORK  OF 
CAPT.  MANLY. 


N  TREATING  of  the  history  of  the  navy  during  the  war  of  the 
Revolution,  we  must  always  bear  in  mind  the  fact,  that,  during 
the  greater  part  of  that  war,  there  was  no  navy.  Indeed,  the 
subject  presents  much  the  same  aspect  as  the  celebrated  chapter 
on  snakes  in  Ireland,  which  consisted  of  exactly  six  words,  "  There  are  no 
snakes  in  Ireland."  So  many  of  the  episodes  and  incidents  of  the 
Revolutionary  war  that  we  chronicle  as  part  of  the  naval  history  of  that 
struggle  are  naval  only  in  that  they  took  place  on  the  water.  The 
participants  in  them  were  often  longshoremen,  fishermen,  or  privateers- 
men,  and  but  seldom  sailors  enrolled  in  the  regular  navy  of  the  united 
colonies.  Nevertheless,  these  irregular  forces  accomplished  some  results 
that  would  be  creditable  to  a  navy  in  the  highest  state  of  efficiency  and 
discipline. 

The  expense  of  building  vessels-of-war,  and  the  difficulty,  amounting 
even  to  impossibility,  of  procuring  cannon  for  their  armament,  deterred 
the  Colonies  from  equipping  a  naval  force.  All  the  energies  of  the  revolu 
tionists  were  directed  towards  organizing  and  equipping  the  army.  The 
cause  of  independence  upon  the  ocean  was  left  to  shift  for  itself.  But,  as 
the  war  spread,  the  depredations  of  British  vessels  along  the  coast  became 
so  intolerable  that  some  colonies  fitted  out  armed  vessels  for  self-protection. 
Private  enterprise  sent  out  many  privateers  to  prey  upon  British  commerce, 

33 


34  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


so  that  the  opening  months  of  the  year  1776  saw  many  vessels  on  the 
ocean  to  support  the  cause  of  the  Colonies.  To  man  these  vessels,  there 
were  plenty  of  sailors ;  for  even  at  that  early  day  New  England  had 
begun  to  develop  that  race  of  hardy  seamen  for  which  she  is  still  noted 
in  this  day  of  decadence  in  the  American  marine.  There  was,  however, 
a  sad  lack  of  trained  officers  to  command  the  vessels  of  the  infant  navy. 
Many  Americans  were  enrolled  on  the  lists  of  the  ships  flying  the  royal 
banner  of  England,  but  most  of  these  remained  in  the  British  service. 
The  men,  therefore,  who  were  to  command  the  ships  of  the  colonies,  were 
trained  in  the  rough  school  of  the  merchant  service,  and  had  smelt  gun 
powder  only  when  resisting  piratical  attacks,  or  in  serving  themselves  as 
privateers. 

For  these  reasons  the  encounters  and  exploits  that  we  shall  consider 
as  being  part  of  the  naval  operations  of  the  Revolutionary  war  were  of 
a  kind  that  would  to-day  be  regarded  as  insignificant  skirmishes  ;  and  the 
naval  officer  of  to-day  would  look  with  supreme  contempt  upon  most  of 
his  brethren  of  '76,  as  so  many  untrained  sea-guerillas.  Nevertheless, 
the  achievements  of  some  of  the  seamen  of  the  Revolution  are  not 
insignificant,  even  when  compared  with  exploits  of  the  era  of  Farragut  ; 
and  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  efforts  of  the  devoted  men  were 
directed  against  a  nation  that  had  in  commission  at  the  opening  of  the 
war  three  hundred  and  fifty-three  vessels,  and  even  then  bore  proudly 
the  title  conferred  upon  her  by  the  consent  of  all  nations,  —  "The  Mistress 
of  the  Seas." 

It  was  on  the  igth  of  April,  1775,  that  the  redoubtable  Major  Pitcairn 
and  his  corps  of  scarlet-coated  British  regulars  shot  down  the  colonists 
on  the  green  at  Lexington,  and  then  fled  back  to  Boston  followed  by  the 
enraged  minute-men,  who  harassed  the  retreating  red-coats  with  a  constant 
fire  of  musketry.  The  news  of  the  battle  spread  far  and  wide  ;  and 
wherever  the  story  was  told,  the  colonists  began  arming  themselves, 
and  preparing  for  resistance  to  the  continually  increasing  despotism  of  the 
British  authorities. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  a  coasting  schooner  from  Boston  put  into  the 
little  seaport  of  Machias  on  the  coast  of  Maine.  The  people  of  the  little 
town  gathered  at  the  wharf,  and  from  the  sailors  first  heard  the  story  of 
Lexington  and  C'oncord.  The  yoke  of  the  British  Government  had  rested 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  35 

lightly  on  the  shoulders  of  the  people  of  Machias.  Far  from  the  chief 
cities  of  the  New  World,  they  had  heard  little  of  the  continued  dissensions 
between  the  Colonies  and  the  home  Government,  and  they  heard  the  story 
of  the  rebellion  with  amazement.  But  however  unprepared  they  might 
have  been  for  the  news  of  the  outbreak,  their  sympathies  went  warmly 
out  to  their  struggling  brethren,  and  they  determined  to  place  them 
selves  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  the  Massachusetts  colonists  in  the  fight 
against  the  oppression  of  the  British.  Their  opportunity  for  action  came 
that  very  night. 

As  the  sturdy  young  colonists  stood  on  the  deck  listening  to  the 
stories  of  the  newly  arrived  sailors,  they  could  see  floating  lightly  at 
anchor  near  the  wharf  a  trimly  rigged  schooner  flying  the  ensign  of  the 
British  navy.  This  craft  was  the  "  Margaretta,"  an  armed  schooner  acting 
as  convoy  to  two  sloops  that  were  then  loading  with  ship-timber  to  be  used 
in  the  service  of  the  king. 

The  Boston  sailors  had  not  yet  finished  their  narrative  of  the  two 
battles,  when  the  thought  occurred  to  some  of  the  adventurous  listeners 
that  they  might  strike  a  retaliatory  blow  by  capturing  the  "  Margaretta." 
Therefore,  bidding  the  sailors  to  say  nothing  to  the  British  of  Lexington 
and  Concord,  they  left  the  wharf  and  dispersed  through  the  town,  seeking 
for  recruits.  That  same  evening,  sixty  stalwart  men  assembled  in  a 
secluded  farm-house,  and  laid  their  plans  for  the  destruction  of  the 
schooner.  It  was  then  Saturday  night,  and  the  conspirators  determined 
to  attack  the  vessel  the  next  morning  while  the  officers  were  at  church. 
All  were  to  proceed  by  twos  and  threes  to  the  wharf,  in  order  that  no 
suspicion  might  be  aroused.  Once  at  the  water-side,  they  would  rush  to 
their  boats,  and  carry  the  schooner  by  boarding. 

Sunday  morning  dawned  clear,  and  all  seemed  propitious  for  the 
conspirators.  The  "  Margaretta "  had  then  been  in  port  for  more  than  a 
week,  and  her  officers  had  no  reason  to  doubt  the  loyalty  and  friendship  of 
the  inhabitants  :  no  whisper  of  the  occurrences  in  Massachusetts,  nor 
any  hint  of  the  purposes  of  the  people  of  Machias,  had  reached  their 
ears.  Therefore,  on  this  peaceful  May  morning,  Capt.  Moore  donned  his 
full-dress  uniform,  and  with  his  brother  officers  proceeded  to  the  little 
church  in  the  village. 

Every  thing  then  seemed   favorable  to  the  success  of   the  adventure. 


36  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

The  "Margaretta,"  manned  by  a  sleepy  crew,  and  deserted  by  her  officers, 
lay  within  easy  distance  of  the  shore.  It  seemed  as  though  the  conspirators 
had  only  to  divide  into  two  parties ;  and  while  the  one  surrounded  the 
church,  and  captured  the  worshipping  officers,  the  others  might  descend 
upon  the  schooner,  and  easily  make  themselves  masters  of  all. 

But  the  plot  failed.  History  fails  to  record  just  how  or  why  the 
suspicions  of  Capt.  Moore  were  aroused.  Whether  it- was  that  the  wary 
captain  noticed  the  absence  of  most  of  the  young  men  of  the  congregation, 
or  whether  he  saw  the  conspirators  assembling  on  the  dock,  is  not  known. 
But  certain  it  is  that  the  good  dominie  in  the  pulpit,  and  the  pious  people 
in  the  pews,  were  mightily  startled  by  the  sudden  uprisal  of  Capt.  Moore, 
who  sprang  from  his  seat,  and,  calling  upon  his  officers  to  follow  him,  leaped 
through  the  great  window  of  the  church,  and  ran  like  mad  for  the  shore, 
followed  by  the  rest  of  the  naval  party. 

There  was  no  more  church  for  the  good  people  of  Machias  that 
morning.  Even  the  preacher  came  down  from  his  pulpit  to  stare 
through  his  horn-rimmed  glasses  at  the  retreating  forms  of  his  whilom 
listeners.  And,  as  he  stood  in  blank  amazement  at  the  church  door,  he 
saw  a  large  party  of  the  missing  young  men  of  his  congregation  come 
dashing  down  the  street  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  retreating  mariners.  In 
their  hands,  the  pursuers  carried  sabres,  cutlasses,  old  flint-lock  muskets, 
cumbrous  horse-pistols,  scythes,  and  reaping-hooks.  The  pursued  wore 
no  arms  ;  and,  as  no  boat  awaited  them  at  the  shore,  their  case  looked 
hopeless  indeed.  But  the  old  salt  left  in  charge  of  the  schooner  was 
equal  to  the  occasion.  The  unsabbath-like  tumult  on  the  shore  quickly 
attracted  his  attention,  and  with  unfeigned  astonishment  he  had  observed 
his  commander's  unseemly  egress  from  the  chtirch.  But,  when  the  armed 
band  of  colonists  appeared  upon  the  scene,  he  ceased  to  rub  his  eyes  in 
wonder,  and  quickly  loaded  up  a  swivel  gun,  with  which  he  let  fly,  over 
the  heads  of  his  officers,  and  in  dangerous  proximity  to  the  advancing 
colonists.  This  fire  checked  the  advance  of  the  conspirators ;  and,  while 
they  wavered  and  hung  back,  a  boat  put  off  from  the  schooner,  and  soon 
took  the  officers  aboard.  Then,  after  firing  a  few  solid  shot  over  the 
town,  merely  as  an  admonition  of  what  might  be  expected  if  the  hot 
headed  young  men  persisted  in  their  violent  outbreaks,  the  "  Margaretta " 
dropped  down  the  bay  to  a  more  secluded  anchorage. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  37 


The  defeated  conspirators  were  vastly  chagrined  at  the  miscarriage  of 
their  plot ;  but,  nothing  daunted,  they  resolved  to  attempt  to  carry  the 
schooner  by  assault,  since  strategy  had  failed.  Therefore,  early  the  next 
morning,  four  young  men  seized  upon  a  sloop,  and,  bringing  her  up  to 
the  wharf,  cheered  lustily.  A  crowd  soon  gathered,  and  the  project  was 
explained,  and  volunteers  called  for.  Thirty-five  hardy  sailors  and  wood 
men  hastily  armed  themselves  with  muskets,  pitchforks,  and  axes ;  and, 
after  taking  aboard  a  small  supply  of  provisions,  the  sloop  dropped  down 
the  harbor  toward  the  "  Margaretta."  The  captain  of  the  threatened 
schooner  had  observed  through  his  spy-glass  the  proceedings  at  the 
wharf,  and  suspected  his  danger.  He  was  utterly  ignorant  of  the  reason 
for  this  sudden  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Machias.  He 
knew  nothing  of  the  quarrel  that  had  thus  provoked  the  rebellion  of  the 
colonies.  Therefore,  he  sought  to  avoid  a  conflict ;  and,  upon  the  approach 
of  the  sloop,  he  hoisted  his  anchor,  and  fled  down  the  bay. 

The  sloop  followed  in  hot  haste.  The  Yankees  crowded  forward,  and 
shouted  taunts  and  jeers  at  their  more  powerful  enemy  who  thus  strove 
to  avoid  the  conflict.  Both  vessels  were  under  full  sail ;  and  the  size  of 
the  schooner  was  beginning  to  tell,  when,  in  jibing,  she  carried  away  her 
main  boom.  Nevertheless,  she  was  so  far  ahead  of  the  sloop  that  she 
was  able  to  put  into  Holmes  Bay,  and  take  a  spar  out  of  a  vessel 
lying  there,  before  the  sloop  overtook  her.  But  the  delay  incident  upon 
changing  the  spars  brought  the  sloop  within  range ;  and  Capt.  Moore,  still 
anxious  to  avoid  an  encounter,  cut  away  his  boats,  and  stood  out  to  sea. 
With  plenty  of  sea  room,  and  with  a  spanking  breeze  on  the  quarter, 
the  sloop  proved  to  be  the  better  sailer.  Moore  then  prepared  for  battle, 
and,  as  the  sloop  overhauled  him,  let  fly  one  of  his  swivels,  following  it 
immediately  with  his  whole  broadside,  killing  one  man.  The  sloop 
returned  the  fire  with  her  one  piece  of  ordnance,  which  was  so  well 
aimed  as  to  kill  the  man  at  the  helm  of  the  "  Margaretta,"  and  clear 
her  quarter-deck.  The  two  vessels  then  closed,  and  a  hand-to-hand 
battle  began,  in  which  muskets,  hand-grenades,  pikes,  pitchforks,  and 
cutlasses  were  used  with  deadly  effect.  The  colonists  strove  to  board 
their  enemy,  but  were  repeatedly  beaten  back.  If  any  had  thought  that 
Capt.  Moore's  continued  efforts  to  avoid  a  conflict  were  signs  of  coward 
ice,  they  were  quickly  undeceived ;  for  that  officer  fought  like  a  tiger, 


38  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

standing  on  the  quarter-deck  rail,  cheering  on  his  men,  and  hurling  hand- 
grenades  down  upon  his  assailants,  until  a  shot  brought  him  down.  The 
fall  of  their  captain  disheartened  the  British ;  and  the  Americans  quickly 
swarmed  over  the  sides  of  the  "  Margaretta,"  and  drove  her  crew  below. 

This  victory  was  no  mean  achievement  for  the  colonists.  The 
"  Margaretta  "  was  vastly  the  superior,  both  in  metal  and  in  the  strength 
of  her  crew.  She  was  ably  officered  by  trained  and  courageous  seamen  ; 
while  the  Yankees  had  no  leaders  save  one  Jeremiah  O'Brien,  whom  they 
had  elected,  by  acclamation,  captain.  That  the  Americans  had  so  quickly 
brought  their  more  powerful  foe  to  terms,  spoke  volumes  for  their  pluck 
and  determination.  Nor  were  they  content  to  rest  with  the  capture  of 
the  schooner.  Transferring  her  armament  to  the  sloop,  O'Brien  set  out 
in  search  of  prizes,  and  soon  fell  in  with,  and  captured,  two  small 
British  cruisers.  These  he  took  to  Watertown,  where  the  Massachusetts 
Legislature  was  then  in  session.  The  news  of  his  victory  was  received 
with  vast  enthusiasm  ;  and  the  Legislature  conferred  upon  him  the  rank 
of  captain,  and  ordered  him  to  set  out  on  another  cruise,  and  particularly 
watch  out  for  British  vessels  bringing  over  provisions  or  munitions  ot 
war  to  the  king's  troops  in  America. 

But  by  this  time  Great  Britain  was  aroused.  The  king  saw  all 
America  up  in  arms  against  his  authority,  and  he  determined  to  punish 
the  rebellious  colonists.  A  naval  expedition  was  therefore  sent  against 
Falmouth,  and  that  unfortunate  town  was  given  to  the  flames.  The 
Legislature  of  Massachusetts  then  passed  a  law  granting  commissions  to 
privateers,  and  directing  the  seizure  of  British  ships.  Thereafter  the 
hostilities  on  the  ocean,  which  had  been  previously  unauthorized  and 
somewhat  piratical,  had  the  stamp  of  legislative  authority. 

Petty  hostilities  along  the  coast  were  very  active  during  the  first  few 
months  of  the  war.  The  exploits  of  Capt.  O'Brien  stirred  up  seamen 
from  Maine  to  the  Carolinas,  and  luckless  indeed  was  the  British  vessel 
that  fell  into  their  clutches.  At  Providence  two  armed  American  vessels 
re-took  a  Yankee  brig  and  sloop  that  had  been  captured  by  the  British. 
At  Dartmouth  a  party  of  soldiers  captured  a  British  armed  brig.  In  addition 
to  these  exploits,  the  success  of  the  American  privateers,  which  had  got  to 
sea  in  great  numbers,  added  greatly  to  the  credit  of  the  American  cause. 

The  first  order  looking  toward  the    establishment    of   a   national    navy 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76.  39 


was  given  by  Gen.  Washington  in  the  latter  part  of  1775.  The  sagacious 
general,  knowing  that  the  British  forces  in  Boston  were  supplied  with 
provisions  and  munitions  of  war  by  sea,  conceived  the  idea  of  fitting 
out  some  swift-sailing  cruisers  to  intercept  the  enemy's  cruisers,  and  cut 
off  their  supplies.  Accordingly,  on  his  own  authority,  he  sent  out 
Capt.  Broughton  with  two  armed  schooners  belonging  to  the  colony  of 
Massachusetts.  Broughton  was  ordered  to  intercept  two  brigs  bound 
for  Quebec  with  military  stores.  This  he  failed  to  do,  but  brought  in 
ten  other  vessels.  Congress,  however,  directed  the  release  of  the 
captured  ships,  as  it  was  then  intended  only  to  take  such  vessels  as  were 
actually  employed  in  the  king's  service. 

By  this  time  Congress  had  become  convinced  that  some  naval  force 
was  absolutely  essential  to  the  success  of  the  American  cause.  In 
October,  1775,  it  therefore  fitted  out,  and  ordered  to  sea,  a  number  of 
small  vessels.  Of  these  the  first  to  sail  was  the  "  Lee,"  under  command 
of  Capt.  John  Manly,  whose  honorable  name,  won  in  the  opening  years  of 
the  Revolution,  fairly  entitles  him  to  the  station  of  the  father  of  the 
American  navy. 

With  his  swift  cruiser,  Manly  patrolled  the  New  England  coast,  and 
was  marvellously  successful  in  capturing  British  store-ships.  Washington 
wrote  to  Congress,  "  I  am  in  very  great  want  of  powder,  lead,  mortars, 
and,  indeed,  most  sorts  of  military  stores."  Hardly  had  the  letter  been 
forwarded,  when  Manly  appeared  in  port  with  a  prize  heavy  laden  with 
just  the  goods  for  which  the  commander-in-chief  had  applied.  A  queer 
coincidence  is  on  record  regarding  these  captured  stores.  Samuel  Tucker, 
an  able  Yankee  seaman,  later  an  officer  in  the  American  navy,  was  on 
the  docks  at  Liverpool  as  a  transport  was  loading  for  America.  As  he 
saw  the  great  cases  of  guns  and  barrels  of  powder  marked  "  Boston  "  being 
lowered  into  the  hold  of  the  vessel,  he  said  to  a  friend  who  stood  with 
him,  "I  would  walk  barefoot  one  hundred  miles,  if  by  that  means  these 
arms  could  only  take  the  direction  of  Cambridge."  Three  months  later 
Tucker  was  in  Washington's  camp  at  Cambridge,  and  there  saw  the  very 
arms  he  had  so  coveted  on  the  Liverpool  docks.  They  had  been  captured 
by  Capt.  Manly. 

Manly's  activity  proved  very  harassing  to  the  British,  and  the  sloop- 
of-war  "  Falcon "  was  sent  out  to  capture  the  Yankee.  She  fell  in  with 


40  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


the  "Lee"  near  Gloucester,  just  as  the  latter  was  making  for  that  port 
with  a  merchant  schooner  in  convoy.  Manly,  seeing  that  the  Englishman 
was  too  heavy  for  him,  deserted  his  convoy  and  ran  into  the  port,  where 
he  anchored,  out  of  reach  of  the  sloop's  guns.  Capt.  Lindzee  of  the 
"  Falcon  "  stopped  to  capture  the  abandoned  schooner,  and  then  taking 
his  vessel  to  the  mouth  of  the  port,  anchored  her  in  such  a  way  as  to 
prevent  any  escape  for  the  "  Lee."  He  then  prepared  to  capture  the 
Yankee  by  boarding.  The  "  Falcon "  drew  too  much  water  to  run 
alongside  the  "  Lee  "  at  the  anchorage  Manly  had  chosen  ;  and  the  English 
man  therefore  put  his  men  in  large  barges,  and  with  a  force  of  about 
forty  men  set  out  to  capture  the  schooner.  Manly  saw  the  force  that 
was  to  be  brought  against  him,  and  sent  his  men  to  quarters,  preparing 
for  a  desperate  resistance.  The  schooner  was  lying  near  the  shore  ;  and 
the  townspeople  and  militia  gathered  by  the  water-side,  with  guns  in  their 
hands,  prepared  to  lend  their  aid  to  the  brave  defenders  of  the  "Lee." 
As  the  three  barges  drew  near  the  schooner,  Manly  mounted  the  rail,  and 
hailed  them,  warning  them  to  keep  off  lest  he  fire  upon  them. 

"  Fire,  and  be  hanged  to  you,"  was  the  response  of  the  lieutenant  in 
command  of  the  assailants.  "We  have  no  fear  of  traitors." 

So  saying,  the  British  pressed  on  through  a  fierce  storm  of  musketry 
from  the  deck  of  the  schooner  and  from  the  shore.  They  showed  no 
lack  of  courage.  The  lieutenant  himself  brought  his  boat  under  the 
cabin  windows,  and  was  in  the  act  of  boarding,  when  a  shot  from  the  shore 
struck  him  in  the  thigh,  and  he  was  carried  back  to  the  man-of-war.  Capt. 
Lindzee,  who  had  watched  the  progress  of  the  fight  from  the  deck  of  the 
"  Falcon,"  was  greatly  enraged  when  his  lieutenant  was  thus  disabled  ; 
and  he  hastily  despatched  re-enforcements  to  the  scene  of  action,  and 
directed  the  gunners  on  the  "Falcon"  to  commence  a  cannonade  of  the 
town. 

"  Now,"  said  he  with  an  oath,  "  my  boys,  we  will  aim  at  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Well,  my  brave  fellows,  one  shot  more,  and  the  house  of  God 
will  fall  before  you." 

But  the  British  were  fairly  outfought,  and  the  outcome  of  the  battle 
was  disastrous  to  them.  A  newspaper  of  the  period,  speaking  of  the 
fight  says,  "  Under  God,  our  little  party  at  the  waterside  performed 
wonders ;  for  they  soon  made  themselves  masters  of  both  the  schooners, 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  41 


the  cutter,  the  two  barges,  the  boat,  and  every  man  in  them,  and  all  that 
pertained  to  them.  In  the  action,  which  lasted  several  hours,  we  have 
lost  but  one  man ;  two  others  wounded,  —  one  of  whom  is  since  dead,  the 
other  very  slightly  wounded.  We  took  of  the  man-of-war's  men  thirty-five  ; 
several  are  wounded,  and  one  since  dead  ;  twenty-four  are  sent  to  head 
quarters.  The  remainder,  being  impressed  from  this  and  neighboring 
towns,  are  permitted  to  return  to  their  friends.  This  morning  Capt. 
Lindzee  warped  off  with  but  one-half  of  his  men,  with  neither  a  prize-boat 
nor  tender,  except  a  small  skiff  the  wounded  lieutenant  returned  in." 

The  work  done  by  the  small  armed  schooners  of  which  the  "  Lee  "  was 
a  type  encouraged  Congress  to  proceed  with  the  work  of  organizing  a 
regular  navy;  and  by  the  end  of  1775  that  body  had  authorized  the 
building  of  thirteen  war-vessels  carrying  from  twenty-four  to  thirty-two 
guns  each.  But  as  some  naval  force  was  obviously  necessary  during 
the  construction  of  this  fleet,  five  vessels  were  procured,  and  the  new 
navy  was  organized  with  the  following  roster  of  officers  :  — 

ES'EK  HOPKINS  ........       Commander-in-chief. 

DUDLEY  SALTONSTALL Captain  of  the  "Alfred" 

ABRAHAM  WHIPPLE Captain  of  the  "  Columbus" 

NICHOLAS  BIDDLE Captain  of  the  "  Andrea  Doria." 

JOHN  B.  HOPKINS Captain  of  the  "  Cabot." 

A  long  list  of  lieutenants  was  also  provided,  among  whom  stands  out 
boldly  the  name  of  John  Paul  Jones.  John  Manly,  whose  dashing  work 
in  the  shooner  "  Lee "  we  have  already  noticed,  was  left  in  command 
of  his  little  craft  until  the  thirty-two-gun  ship  "  Hancock "  was  com 
pleted,  when  he  was  put  in  charge  of  her. 

It  may  possibly  have  occurred  to  some  of  my  readers  to  wonder 
what  flag  floated  from  the  mastheads  of  these  ships.  There  is  much 
confusion  upon  this  point,  and  not  a  little  uncertainty.  There  were 
three  classes  of  American  armed  vessels  on  the  seas.  First  were 
the  privateers,  that  sailed  under  any  flag  that  might  suit  their  purpose. 
Next  came  the  vessels  fitted  out  and  commissioned  by  the  individual 
colonies ;  these  usually  floated  the  flag  of  the  colony  from  which  they 
hailed  Last  came  the  vessels  commissioned  by  Congress,  which  at 
the  outset  floated  many  banners  of  diverse  kinds.  It  fell  to  the  lot 


42  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

of  Lieut.  Paul  Jones,  however,  to  hoist  the  first  authorized  American 
flag  over  a  regularly  commissioned  vessel-of-war.  This  flag  was  of 
bunting,  showing  a  pine-tree  on  a  plain  white  ground,  with  the  words 
"  Liberty  Tree  "  and  "  Appeal  to  God  "  prominently  displayed.  This  flag 
was  chiefly  used  until  the  adoption  of  the  stars  and  stripes.  The 
"  rattlesnake  flag,"  with  a  reptile  in  the  act  of  striking,  and  the  legend 
"Don't  tread  on  me/'  was  largely  used  by  the  privateers. 

The  year  1775  closed  with  but  little  activity  upon  the  ocean.  The 
ships  of  the  regular  navy  were  late  in  getting  into  commission,  and  an 
early  winter  impeded  their  usefulness.  Some  little  work  was  done  by 
privateers  and  the  ships  of  the  different  colonies,  and  the  ships  of  the 
British  navy  were  kept  fully  occupied  in  guarding  against  the  operations 
of  these  gentry.  The  man-of-war  "  Nautilus "  chased  an  American 
privateer  into  a  little  cove  near  Beverly,  and  in  the  heat  of  the  chase 
both  vessels  ran  aground.  The  people  on  shore  put  off  to  the  priva 
teer,  and  quickly  stripped  her  of  her  cordage  and  armament,  and  with 
the  guns  built  a  small  battery  by  the  water-side,  from  which  they  opened 
a  telling  fire  upon  the  stranded  "  Nautilus."  The  man-of-war  returned 
in  kind,  and  did  some  slight  damage  to  the  town  ;  but  when  the  tide 
had  risen  she  slipped  her  cables  and  departed.  Such  desultory  encounters 
were  of  frequent  occurrence,  but  no  naval  battles  of  any  importance 
took  place  until  the  spring  of  1776. 


COMMODORE  ESEK  HOPKINS 


CHAPTER  V. 


EVENTS  OF  1776.  — THE  FIRST  CRUISE  OF  THE  REGULAR  NAVY.— THE  "LEXINGTON"  AND  THE 
"EDWARD."— MUGFORD'S  BRAVE  FIGHT.  — LOSS  OF  THE  "YANKEE  HERO."  — CAPT.  MANLY, 
AND  THE  "  DEFENCE."  —  AMERICAN  VESSELS  IN  EUROPEAN  WATERS. -GOOD  WORK  OF 
THE  "LEXINGTON"  AND  THE  "  REPRISAL."-  THE  BRITISH  DEFEATED  AT  CHARLESTON. 


HE  year  1776  witnessed  some  good  service  done  for  the  cause 
of  liberty  by  the  little  colonial  navy.  The  squadron,  under  the 
command  of  Ezekiel  Hopkins,  left  the  Delaware  in  February, 
as  soon  as  the  ice  had  left  the  river,  and  made  a  descent  upon 
the  island  of  New  Providence,  where  the  British  had  established  a  naval 
station.  The  force  under  Hopkins  consisted  of  seven  vessels-of-war,  and 
one  despatch-boat.  The  attack  was  successful  in  every  way,  a  landing 
party  of  three  hundred  marines  and  sailors  which  was  sent  ashore 
meeting  with  but  little  resistance  from  the  British  garrison.  By  this 
exploit,  the  Americans  captured  over  a  hundred  cannon,  and  a  great 
quantity  of  naval  stores. 

After  this  exploit,  Hopkins  left    New  Providence,  carrying   away  with 
him   the   governor   and   one   or   two   notable   citizens,   and   continued   his 
3  43 


44  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 


cruise.  His  course  was  shaped  to  the  northward,  and  early  in  April  he 
found  himself  off  the  shore  of  Long  Island.  He  had  picked  up  a  couple 
of  insignificant  British  vessels,  —  one  a  tender  of  six  guns,  and  the  other 
an  eight-gun  bomb-brig.  But  his  cruise  had  been  mainly  barren  of  results ; 
and  his  crew,  who  had  looked  forward  to  sharp  service  and  plenty  of  prize- 
money,  were  beginning  to  grumble.  But  their  inactivity  was  not  of  long 
duration ;  for,  before  daylight  on  the  morning  of  April  6,  the  lookout 
at  the  masthead  of  the  "Alfred"  sighted  a  large  ship,  bearing  down  upon 
the  American  squadron.  The  night  was  clear  and  beautiful,  the  wind 
light,  and  the  sea  smooth ;  and  so,  although  it  lacked  several  hours  to 
daylight,  the  commanders  determined  to  give  battle  to  the  stranger. 
Soon,  therefore,  the  roll  of  the  drums  beating  to  quarters  was  heard 
over  the  water,  and  the  angry  glare  of  the  battle  lanterns  on  the  gun- 
decks  made  the  open  ports  of  the  war-ships  stand  out  like  fiery  eyes 
against  the  black  hulls.  The  Englishman,  who  proved  later  to  be  the 
"Glasgow,"  twenty  guns,  carrying  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  might 
easily  have  escaped  ;  but,  apparently  undaunted  by  the  odds  against  him, 
he  awaited  the  attack.  The  little  "  Cabot  "  was  the  first  American  ship 
to  open  fire  on  the  enemy.  Her  attack,  though  sharp  and  plucky,  was 
injudicious;  for  two  of  the  Englishman's  heavy  broadsides  were  enough 
to  send  her  out  of  the  battle  for  repairs.  The  "Glasgow"  and  the 
"  Alfred "  then  took  up  the  fight,  and  exchanged  repeated  broadsides  ; 
the  American  vessel  suffering  the  more  serious  injuries  of  the  two. 
After  some  hours  of  this  fighting,  the  "  Glasgow "  hauled  away,  and 
made  good  her  escape,  although  she  was  almost  surrounded  by  the 
vessels  of  the  American  squadron.  It  would  seem  that  only  the  most 
careless  seamanship  on  the  part  of  the  Americans  could  have  enabled  a 
twenty-gun  vessel  to  escape  from  four  vessels,  each  one  of  which  was 
singly  almost  a  match  for  her.  It  is  evident  that  the  Continental 
Congress  took  the  same  view  of  the  matter,  for  Hopkins  was  soon  after 
dismissed  from  the  service. 

This  action  was  little  to  the  credit  of  the  sailors  of  the  colonial 
navy.  Fortunately,  a  second  action  during  the  same  month  set  them  in 
a  better  light  before  the  people  of  the  country.  This  was  the  encounter 
of  the  "  Lexington,"  Capt.  Barry,  with  the  British  vessel  "  Edward,"  off 
the  capes  of  Virginia.  The  two  vessels  were  laid  yard-arm  to  yard-arm; 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76.  45 

and  a  hot  battle  ensued,  in  which  the  Americans  came  off  the  victors. 
The  career  of  this  little  American  brig  was  a  rather  remarkable  one.  The 
year  following  her  capture  of  the  "  Edward,"  she  was  again  off  the  capes 
of  the  Delaware,  and  again  fell  in  with  a  British  ship.  This  time,  how* 
ever,  the  Englishman  was  a  frigate,  and  the  luckless  "  Lexington "  was 
forced  to  surrender.  Her  captor  left  the  Americans  aboard  their  own 
craft,  and,  putting  a  prize-crew  aboard,  ordered  them  to  follow  in  the 
wake  of  the  frigate.  That  night  the  Americans  plotted  the  recapture  of 
their  vessel.  By  a  concerted  movement,  they  overpowered  their  captors ; 
and  the  "  Lexington "  was  taken  into  Baltimore,  where  she  was  soon 
recommissioned,  and  ordered  to  cruise  in  European  waters. 

Shortly  after  the  battle  between  the  "  Lexington  "  and  the  "  Edward," 
there  was  fought  in  Massachusetts  Bay  an  action  in  which  the  Americans 
showed  the  most  determined  bravery,  and  which  for  the  courage  shown, 
and  losses  suffered  on  either  side,  may  well  be  regarded  as  the  most 
important  of  the  naval  battles  of  that  year.  Early  in  May,  a  merchant 
seaman  named  Mugford  had  succeeded,  after  great  importunity,  in  securing 
the  command  of  the  armed  vessel  "  Franklin,"  a  small  cruiser  mounting 
only  four  guns.  The  naval  authorities  had  been  unwilling  to  give  him  the 
command,  though  he  showed  great  zeal  in  pressing  his  suit.  Indeed, 
after  the  appointment  had  been  made,  certain  damaging  rumors  concerning 
the  newly  appointed  captain  reached  the  ears  of  the  marine  committee, 
and  caused  them  to  send  an  express  messenger  to  Boston  to  cancel 
Mugford's  commission.  But  the  order  arrived  too  late.  Mugford  had 
already  fitted  out  his  ship,  and  sailed.  He  had  been  but  a  few  days  at 
sea,  when  the  British  ship  "Hope,"  of  four  hundred  tons  and  mounting 
six  guns,  hove  in  sight.  More  than  this,  the  lookout  reported  that  the 
fleet  of  the  British  commodore  Banks  lay  but  a  few  miles  away,  and  in 
plain  sight.  Many  a  man  would  have  been  daunted  by  such  odds.  Not 
so  Capt.  Mugford.  Mustering  his  men,  he  showed  them  the  British  ship, 
told  them  that  she  carried  heavier  metal  than  the  "Franklin,"  told 
them  that  the  British  fleet  lay  near  at  hand,  and  would  doubtless  try 
to  take  a  hand  in  the  engagement ;  then,  having  pointed  out  all  the 
odds  against  them,  he  said,  "Now,  my  lads,  it's  a  desperate  case;  but 
we  can  take  her,  and  win  lots  of  glory  and  prize-money.  Will  you  stand 
by  me?" 


46  BLUE-JACKETS  OF  '76. 


The  jackies  wasted  no  time  in  debate,  but,  cheering  lustily  for  the 
captain,  went  to  their  posts,  and  made  ready  for  a  hot  fight.  The  navai 
discipline  of  the  present  day  was  little  known,  and  less  observed,  at  thai- 
time  in  the  American  navy.  The  perfect  order  which  makes  the  gun-ded 
of  a  ship  going  into  action  as  quiet  and  solemn  as  during  Sunday  prayers 
then  gave  place  to  excited  talk  and  bustle.  The  men  stood  in  crews  at 
the  four  guns;  but  most  of  the  jackies  were  mustered  on  the  forecastle, 
ready  to  board.  All  expected  a  desperate  resistance.  Great  was  their 
surprise,  then,  when  they  were  permitted  to  take  a  raking  position  under 
the  stern  of  the  "  Hope,"  and  to  board  her  without  a  shot  being  fired. 
But  as  Mugford,  at  the  head  of  the  boarders,  clambered  over  the  taffrail, 
he  heard  the  captain  of  the  "Hope"  order  the  men  to  cut  the  topsail 
halliards  and  ties,  with  the  intention  of  so  crippling  the  ship  that  the 
British  squadron  might  overhaul  and  recapture  her. 

"Avast  there  !  "  bawled  Mugford,  seeing  through  the  plot  in  an  instant, 
and  clapping  a  pistol  to  the  head  of  the  captain  ;  "  if  a  knife  is  touched 
to  those  ropes,  not  a  man  of  this  crew  shall  live." 

This  threat  so  terrified  the  captured  sailors,  that  they  relinquished 
their  design ;  and  Mugford,  crowding  all  sail  on  his  prize,  soon  was 
bowling  along  before  a  stiff  breeze,  with  the  British  squadron  in  hot 
pursuit.  An  examination  of  the  ship's  papers  showed  her  to  be  the  most 
valuable  prize  yet  taken  by  the  Americans.  In  her  hold  were  fifteen 
hundred  barrels  of  powder,  a  thousand  carbines,  a  great  number  of 
travelling  carriages  for  cannon,  and  a  most  complete  assortment  of  artillery 
instruments  and  pioneer  tools.  While  running  for  Boston  Harbor,  through 
the  channel  known  as  Point  Shirley  gut,  the  vessel  grounded,  but  was 
soon  floated,  and  taken  safely  to  her  anchorage.  Her  arrival  was  most 
timely,  as  the  American  army  was  in  the  most  dire  straits  for  gunpowder. 
It  may  well  be  imagined  that  there  was  no  longer  any  talk  about  revoking 
Capt.  Mugford's  commission. 

Mugford  remained  in  port  only  long  enough  to  take  a  supply  of  powder 
from  his  prize;  then  put  to  sea  again.  He  well  knew  that  the  British  fleet 
that  had  chased  him  into  Boston  Harbor  was  still  blockading  the  harbor's 
mouth,  but  he  hoped  to  evade  it  by  going  out  through  a  circuitous  channel. 
Unluckily,  in  thus  attempting  to  avoid  the  enemy,  the  "Franklin,"  ran 
aground,  and  there  remained  hard  and  fast  in  full  view  of  the  enemy. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  47 

He  had  as  consort  the  privateer  schooner  "Lady  Washington,"  whose 
captain,  seeing  Mugford's  dangerous  predicament,  volunteered  to  remain 
near  at  hand  and  assist  in  the  defence. 

Mugford  knew  that  his  case  was  desperate,  and  made  preparations  for  a 
most  determined  resistance.  Swinging  his  craft  around,  he  mounted  all 
four  of  his  guns  on  that  side  which  commanded  the  channel  in  the 
direction  from  which  the  enemy  was  expected.  Boarding-nettings  were 
triced  up,  and  strengthened  with  cables  and  cordage,  to  make  an  effective 
barrier  against  the  assaults  of  boarders.  The  men  were  served  with  double 
rations  of  grog,  and  set  to  work  sharpening  the  cutlasses  and  spears,  with 
which  they  were  well  provided.  The  work  of  preparation  was  completed 
none  too  soon ;  for  about  nine  o'clock  Mugford  heard  the  rattle  of  oars  in 
rowlocks,  and  saw  boats  gliding  towards  the  "  Franklin "  through  the 
darkness. 

"  Boat  ahoy !  "  he  challenged.     "  Keep  off,  or  I  shall  fire  into  you." 

"  Don't  fire,"  was  the  response  ;  "  we  are  friends  from  Boston  coming 
to  your  aid." 

"We  want  none  of  your  aid,"  cried  Mugford  with  an  oath.  Then, 
turning  to  his  crew,  he  shouted,  "  Let  them  have  it,  boys." 

The  roar  of  the  cannon  then  mingled  with  the  rattle  of  the  musketry, 
the  cries  of  the  wounded,  and  the  shouts  and  curses  of  the  combatants., 
as  the  British  strove  to  clamber  up  the  sides  of  the  "Franklin."  Not 
less  t  han  two  hundred  men  were  engaged  on  the  side  of  the  British,  who 
advanced  to  the  fray  in  thirteen  large  barges,  many  of  them  carrying 
swivel  guns.  Several  boats  dashed  in  close  under  the  side  of  the  "  Franklin," 
and  their  crews  strove  manfully  to  board,  but  were  beaten  back  by  the 
Yankees,  who  rained  cutlass  blows  upon  them.  The  long  pikes  with 
which  the  Americans  were  armed  proved  particularly  effective.  "One 
man  with  that  weapon  is  positive  of  having  killed  nine  of  the  enemy/' 
says  a  newspaper  of  that  day. 

Unhappily,  however,  the  heroic  Mugford,  while  urging  on  his  men  to 
a  more  vigorous  resistance,  was  struck  by  a  musket-ball,  which  inflicted  a 
mortal  wound.  At  the  moment  the  wound  was  received,  he  was  reaching 
out  over  the  quarter  to  catch  hold  of  the  mast  of  one  of  the  barges,  in 
the  hope  of  upsetting  her.  As  he  fell  to  the  deck,  he  called  his  first 
lieutenant,  and  said,  "I  am  a  dead  man.  Do  not  give  up  the  vessel ;  you 


48  BLUEJACKETS   OF   '76. 

will  be  able  to  beat  them  off."  Nearly  forty  years  after,  the  heroic 
; Lawrence,  dying  on  the  deck  of  the  "Chesapeake,"  repeated  Mugford's 
words,  "  Don't  give  up  the  ship." 

For  about  half  an  hour  the  battle  raged  fiercely.  The  British,  beaten 
back  with  great  loss,  returned  again  and  again  to  the  attack.  The  boats 
would  come  under  the  lee  of  the  "  Franklin  ; "  but,  not  being  provided  with 
grappling-irons,  the  British  were  forced  to  lay  hold  of  the  gunwales  of  the 
enemy  with  their  hands,  which  the  Americans  promptly  lopped  off  with 
their  cutlasses.  Shots  from  the  swivel  guns  of  the  Yankee  soon  stove  in  two 
of  the  boats  of  the  enemy,  which  sunk,  carrying  down  many  of  their  crew. 
After  nearly  an  hour  of  this  desperate  fighting,  the  British  withdrew,  having 
lost  about  seventy  men.  The  only  loss  sustained  by  the  Americans  was 
that  of  their  brave  commander  Mugford. 

About  a  month  after  this  battle,  there  occurred  off  the  coast  of 
Massachusetts  a  battle  in  which  the  Americans,  though  they  fought  with 
the  most  undaunted  bravery,  were  forced  to  strike  their  colors  to  theii 
adversary.  The  American  was  the  privateer  "Yankee  Hero"  of  New- 
buryport.  She  sailed  from  that  place  for  Boston  on  the  /th  of  June  with 
only  forty  men  aboard,  intending  to  ship  her  full  complement  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  at  Boston.  As  the  "  Hero  "  rounded  Cape  Ann,  she 
sighted  a  sail  on  the  horizon,  but  in  her  short-handed  condition  did  not 
think  it  worth  while  to  give  chase.  The  stranger,  however,  had  caught 
sight  of  the  "  Hero  ; "  and,  a  fresh  southerly  breeze  springing  up,  she  began 
to  close  with  the  American.  As  she  came  closer,  Capt.  Tracy  of  the 
"  Yankee  Hero "  saw  that  she  was  a  ship-of-war.  Despite  the  desperate 
efforts  of  the  Americans  to  escape,  their  pursuer  rapidly  overhauled  them, 
and  soon  coming  up  within  half  a  mile,  opened  fire  with  her  bow  chasers. 
The  brig  returned  the  fire  with  a  swivel  gun,  which  had  little  effect. 
Seeing  this,  Capt.  Tracy  ordered  the  firing  to  cease  until  the  ships  should 
came  to  close  quarters.  The  stranger  rapidly  overhauled  the  privateer, 
keeping  up  all  the  time  a  vigorous  fire.  Tracy  with  difficulty  restrained 
the  ardor  of  his  men,  who  were  anxious  to  try  to  cripple  their  pursuer. 
When  the  enemy  came  within  pistol-shot,  Tracy  saw  that  the  time  for 
action  on  his  part  had  come,  and  immediately  opened  fire  with  all  the 
guns  and  small-arms  that  could  be  brought  to  bear.  The  only  possible 
chance  for  escape  lay  in  crippling  the  big  craft  with  a  lucky  shot ;  but 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF  '76.  49 

broadside  after  broadside  was  fired,  and  still  the  great  ship  came  rushing 
along  in  the  wake  of  the  flying  privateer.  Closer  and  closer  drew  the 
bulky  man-of-war,  until  her  bow  crept  past  the  stern  of  the  "  Yankee  Hero," 
and  the  marines  upon  her  forecastle  poured  down  a  destructive  volley 
of  musketry  upon  the  brig's  crowded  deck.  The  plight  of  the  privateer 
was  now  a  desperate  one.  Her  heavy  antagonist  was  close  alongside, 
and  towered  high  above  her,  so  that  the  marines  on  the  quarter-deck  and 
forecastle  of  the  Englishman  were  on  a  level  with  the  leading  blocks  of 
the  Yankee.  From  the  depressed  guns  of  the  frigate,  a  murderous  fire 
poured  down  upon  the  smaller  craft.  For  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes 
the  two  vessels  continued  the  fight,  pouring  hot  broadsides  into  each 
other,  and  separated  by  less  than  a  hundred  feet  of  water.  The  brisk 
breeze  blowing  carried  away  the  clouds  of  smoke,  and  left  the  men  on 
the  deck  of  the  Yankee  no  protection  from  sharp-shooters  on  the  enemy's 
deck.  Accordingly,  the  execution  was  frightful.  Tracy,  from  his  post  on 
the  quarter-deck,  saw  his  men  falling  like  sheep,  while  the  continual  volleys 
of  the  great  ship  had  so  cut  the  cordage  of  the  weaker  vessel  that  escape 
was  impossible.  At  last  a  musket-ball  struck  Capt.  Tracy  in  the  thigh, 
and  he  fell  bleeding  to  the  deck.  For  a  moment  his  men  wavered  at  their 
guns ;  but  he  called  manfully  to  them,  from  where  he  lay,  to  fight  on  boldly 
for  the  honor  of  the  "  Yankee  Hero."  Two  petty  officers  had  rushed  to 
his  assistance;  and  he  directed  them  to  lay  him  upon  a  chest  of  arms  upon 
the  quarter-deck,  whence  he  might  direct  the  course  of  the  battle.  But, 
strong  though  was  his  spirit,  his  body  was  too  weak  to  perform  the  task 
he  had  allotted  it ;  and,  growin  5  faint  from  pain  and  loss  of  blood,  he  was 
carried  below. 

He  lay  unconscious  for  a  few  minutes,  but  was  recalled  to  his  senses 
by  the  piteous  cries  of  wounded  men  by  whom  he  was  surrounded.  When 
he  came  to  himself,  he  saw  the  cabin  filled  with  grievously  wounded  people, 
bleeding  and  suffering  for  lack  of  surgical  aid.  The  firing  of  the  privateer 
had  ceased,  but  the  enemy  was  still  pouring  in  pitiless  broadsides.  Enraged 
at  this  spectacle,  Capt.  Tracy  ordered  his  men  to  re-open  the  conflict,  and 
directed  that  he  be  taken  in  a  chair  to  the  quarter-deck.  But,  on  getting 
into  the  chair,  he  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  fainting  spell,  and  gave 
orders,  by  signs,  that  the  colors  be  struck. 

When   the  inequality  of   the   two   enemies   is   considered,  this    action 


5Q  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


appears  to  be  a  most  notable  reason  for  pride  in  the  powers  of  the 
Americans.  The  "  Yankee  Hero "  was  a  low  single-decked  vessel  of 
fourteen  guns,  while  her  captor  was  the  British  frigate  of  thirty-two  guns. 
Yet  the  little  American  vessel  had  held  her  own  for  two  hours,  and  by 
good  gunnery  and  skilful  manoeuvring  had  succeeded  in  doing  almost  as 
much  damage  as  she  had  suffered. 

In  reading  of  the  naval  engagements  of  the  Revolution,  one  is  impressed 
with  the  small  sacrifice  of  life  that  attended  the  most  protracted  conflicts. 
Thus  in  the  action  just  recorded  only  four  men  were  killed  upon  the 
defeated  ship,  although  for  more  than  an  hour  the  two  vessels  had 
exchanged  broadsides  a  distance  of  less  than  a  hundred  feet  apart. 
The  execution  done  on  the  British  frigate  has  never  been  recorded,  but 
was  probably  even  less. 

Only  the  most  fragmentary  account  can  be  given  of  any  naval 
actions  in  the  year  1776,  except  those  in  which  America's  great  naval  hero 
Paul  Jones  took  part.  Of  the  trivial  encounters  that  go  to  complete 
the  naval  annals  of  the  year,  only  the  briefest  recountal  is  necessary.  The 
work  of  the  little  brig  "Andrea  Doria,"  Capt.  Biddle,  deserves  a  passing 
mention.  This  little  fourteen-gun  craft  had  the  most  wonderful  luck  in 
making  prizes.  Besides  capturing  two  transports  loaded  with  British 
soldiers,  she  took  so  many  merchantmen,  that  on  one  cruise  she  brought 
back  to  port  only  five  of  her  original  crew,  the  rest  having  all  been 
put  aboard  prizes. 

On  the  1 7th  of  June,  the  crew  of  the  Connecticut  cruiser  "  Defence," 
a  fourteen-gun  brig,  heard  the  sound  of  distant  cannonading  coming 
faintly  over  the  water.  All  sail  was  crowded  upon  the  brig,  and  she 
made  all  possible  speed  to  the  scene  of  conflict.  About  nightfall,  she 
fell  in  with  four  American  schooners  that  had  just  been  having  a  tussle 
with  two  heavy  British  transports.  Three  of  the  American  vessels  were 
privateers,  the  fourth  was  the  little  cruiser  "Lee"  in  which  Capt.  John 
Manly  had  done  such  brilliant  service.  The  four  schooners  had  found 
the  transports  too  powerful  for  them,  and  had  therefore  drawn  off,  but 
were  eager  to  renew  the  fray  wirh  the  help  of  the  "  Defence."  Accord 
ingly  the  "  Defence  "  led  the  way  to  Nantasket  Roads,  where  the  transports 
lay  at  anchor.  Capt.  Harding  wasted  little  time  in  manoeuvring,  but,  laying 
his  vessel  alongside  the  larger  of  the  two  transports,  summoned  her 
commander  to  strike. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  5 1 

"Ay,  ay — I'll  strike,"  was  the  response  from  the  threatened  vessel; 
and  instantly  a  heavy  broadside  was  poured  into  the  "Defence."  A  sharp 
action  followed,  lasting  for  nearly  an  hour.  The  "  Defence "  bore  the 
brunt  of  the  conflict,  for  the  four  schooners  did  not  come  to  sufficiently 
close  quarters  to  be  of  much  assistance  against  the  enemy.  The  gunnerv 
of  the  Americans  proved  too  much  for  the  enemy,  however ;  and  after 
losing  eighteen  men,  together  with  a  large  number  wounded,  the  British 
surrendered.  The  American  vessel  was  a  good  deal  cut  up  aloft,  and 
lost  nine  of  her  men.  The  next  morning  a  third  transport  was  sighted 
by  the  "  Defence,"  and  speedily  overhauled  and  captured.  More  than  five 
hundred  British  soldiers  were  thus  captured ;  and  the  British  thenceforward 
dared  not  treat  the  Americans  as  rebels,  lest  the  colonial  army  authorities 
should  retaliate  upon  the  British  prisoners  in  their  hands. 

It  was  in  the  year  1776  that  the  first  naval  vessel  giving  allegiance  to 
the  American  Colonies  showed  herself  in  European  waters.  This  vessel 
was  the  "  Reprisal,"  Capt.  Wickes,  a  small  craft,  mounting  sixteen  guns. 
Early  in  the  summer  of  '76,  the  "Reprisal"  made  a  cruise  to  Martinique, 
taking  several  prizes.  When  near  the  island,  she  encountered  the  British 
sloop-of-war  "Shark,"  and  a  sharp  battle  ensued.  In  size  and  weight  of 
metal,  the  two  vessels  were  about  evenly  matched  ;  but  the  "  Reprisal  " 
had  been  sending  out  so  many  prize-crews,  that  she  was  short  eighty 
men  of  her  full  crew.  Therefore,  when,  after  a  brisk  interchange  of 
broadsides,  the  British  sloop  sheered  off,  and  left  the  "  Reprisal "  to 
continue  her  course,  Capt.  Wickes  rejoiced  in  his  escape  as  being  almost 
equal  to  a  victory. 

After  completing  this  cruise,  the  "  Reprisal "  was  ordered  to  France 
Cor  the  purpose  of  conveying  thither  from  Philadelphia  Benjamin  Franklin, 
the  ambassador  sent  from  the  Colonies  to  interest  the  French  in  the 
cause  of  American  liberty.  While  on  the  way  over,  she  took  two. :. or 
^hree  prizes,  which  were  sold  in  France.  After  landing  her  distin 
guished  passenger,  she  cruised  about  in  the  proverbially  tempestuous^  Bay 
of  Biscay,  where  she  forced  several  British  vessels  to  strike  to  the 
American  flag,  then  first  seen  in  those  waters.  On  returning  to  Franpe 
to  sell  his  newly  captured  prizes,  Capt.  Wickes  found  trouble  in  store 
for  him.  The  British  ambassador  at  Paris  had  declared :  that  the 
American  cruiser  was  a  detestable  pirate  ;  and  that  for  France  to  permit 


52  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

the  pirate  to  anchor  in  her  harbors,  or  sell  his  prizes  in  her  markets, 
was  equal  to  a  declaration  of  war  against  England.  Wickes  was, 
therefore,  admonished  to  take  his  ships  and  prisoners  away.  But 
even  in  that  early  day  Yankee  wit  was  sharp,  and  able  to  extricate  its 
possessor  from  troublesome  scrapes.  Wickes  knew  that  there  were 
plenty  of  purchasers  to  be  had  for  his  prizes :  so,  gathering  a  few 
ship-owners  together,  he  took  them  out  to  sea  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of 
France,  and  there  sold  them  to  the  highest  bidder. 

The  money  thus  obtained  Wickes  used  in  purchasing  vessels 
suitable  for  armed  cruisers.  While  these  were  fitting  out,  the 
"  Lexington"  and  the  "Dolphin"  arrived  in  France,  and  soon  joined 
the  "  Reprisal "  in  a  cruise  around  the  British  Islands.  The  little 
squadron  fairly  swept  the  Channel  and  the  Irish  Sea  of  merchantmen. 
The  excitement  in  England  ran  high,  and  the  admiralty  despatched 
all  the  available  men-of-war  in  search  of  the  marauders.  But  the  swift- 
sailing  cruisers  escaped  all  pursuers.  Once  indeed  the  "  Reprisal " 
came  near  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  but  escaped  by 
throwing  overboard  every  thing  movable,  sawing  away  her  bulwarks, 
and  even  cutting  away  her  heavy  timbers. 

The  result  of  this  cruise  so  aroused  England,  that  France  no 
longer  dared  to  harbor  the  audacious  Yankee  cruisers.  The 
"  Lexington  "  and  "  Reprisal  "  were,  therefore,  ordered  to  leave 
European  waters  forthwith.  The  "  Lexington "  complied  first,  and 
when  one  day  out  from  the  port  of  Morlaix  encountered  the  British 
man-of-war  cutter  "Alert."  The  "Alert"  was  the  smaller  of  the  two 
vessels,  but  her  commander  had  in  him  all  that  pluck  and  those  sterling 
seamanlike  qualities  that  made  the  name  of  England  great  upon  the 
ocean.  A  stiff  breeze  was  blowing,  and  a  heavy  cross  sea  running, 
when  the  two  vessels  came  together.  The  gunners  sighted  their 
pieces  at  random  and  fired,  knowing  little  whether  the  shot  would 
go  plunging  into  the  waves,  or  fly  high  into  the  air.  As  a  result, 
they  carried  on  a  spirited  cannonade  for  upwards  of  two  hours,  with 
the  sole  effect  of  carrying  away  the  top  hamper  of  the  "Alert,"  and 
exhausting  most  of  the  powder  on  the  American  craft. 

Finding  his  ammunition  rapidly  giving  out,  the  captain  of  the 
"  Lexington "  clapped  on  all  sail  and  soon  showed  his  crippled 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  53 

antagonist  a  clean  pair  of  heels.  But  so  great  was  the  activity  of  the 
crew  of  the  "  Alert."  that  they  repaired  the  damage  done  aloft,  and 
in  four  hours  overtook  the  "American/*  and  opened  tire  upon  her 
The  battle  now  became  one-sided  ;  for  the  "  Lexington,"  being  short  ot 
powder,  could  make  little  resistance  to  the  brisk  attack  of  her 
persevering  adversary.  In  less  than  an  hour  she  was  forced  to  strike 
her  flag. 

The  fate  of  the  "  Reprisal "  was  even  harder  than  that  of  her 
consort.  While  crossing  the  Atlantic  on  her  way  back  to  the  coast 
of  America,  she  was  overtaken  by  a  furious  gale.  With  furled  sails 
and  battened  hatches,  the  little  craft  made  a  desperate  fight  for  life. 
But  the  fierce  wind  carried  away  her  masts  and  spars,  and  the  tossing 
waves  opened  her  seams,  so  that  it  became  apparent  to  all  on  board 
that  the  fate  of  the  gallant  craft,  that  had  so  nobly  defended  the  cause 
of  American  liberty,  was  sealed.  As  the  water  rose  higher  and 
higher  in  the  hold,  the  officers  saw  that  it  was  no  longer  a  question 
of  the  possibility  of  saving  the  ship,  but  that  their  lives  and  those  of 
the  crew  were  in  the  greatest  danger.  Boats  were  lowered  ;  but  the 
angry  white-capped  waves  tossed  them  madly  aloft,  and,  turning  them 
over  and  over,  sent  the  poor  fellows  that  manned  them  to  their  long 
account.  All  hands  then  set  to  work  at  the  construction  of  a  huge 
raft  ;  and  just  as  the  ship's  stern  settled,  it  was  pushed  off,  and  all  that 
could  reach  it  clambered  on.  A  few  poor  fellows  clung  to  the  sinking 
ship  ;  and  their  comrades  on  the  raft  saw  them  crowd  on  the  forecastle, 
and  heard  their  despairing  cries  as  the  good  ship  threw  her  prow 
high  in  the  air,  and  sunk  stern  foremost  to  the  placid  depths  of  the 
stormy  ocean.  But  those  on  the  raft  were  not  destined  to  escape 
the  fate  of  their  comrades.  The  haggard  sufferers  were  doomed  to 
see  the  frail  structure  on  which  their  lives  depended  go  slowly  to 
pieces  before  the  mighty  power  of  the  remorseless  sea.  Bit  by  bit 
their  foothold  vanished  from  beneath  them.  One  by  one  they  were 
swept  off  into  the  seething  cauldron  of  the  storm.  At  last  but  one 
man  remained,  the  cook  of  the  ill-fated  vessel,  who  floated  about  for 
three  days  on  a  piece  of  wreckage,  until,  half-starved  and  nearly  crazed, 
he  was  picked  up  by  a  passing  vessel,  and  told  the  tale  of  the  wreck. 
So  ended  the  career  of  the  patriotic  and  gallant  Capt.  Wickes  and 


5-4  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

his  crew,  and  such  is  the  fate  that  every  stout  fellow  braves  when  he 
dons  his  blue  jacket  and  goes  to  serve  his  country  on  the  ocean. 

In  addition  to  the  exploits  of  the  American  cruisers  upon  the  high 
seas,  certain  operations  of  the  British  navy  along  the  American  coast, 
during  the  year  1776,  demand  attention.  Of  these  the  most  important 
was  the  attack  by  Sir  Peter  Parker  upon  Charleston,  in  September  of 
that  year, — an  attack  made  memorable  by  the  determined  courage  of  the 
Americans,  the  daring  exploit  of  Sergt.  Jasper,  and  the  discovery  of 
the  remarkable  qualities  of  palmetto  logs  as  a  material  for  fortifications. 

Charleston  was  then  a  town  of  but  a  few  thousand  inhabitants ;  but, 
small  as  it  was,  it  had  become  particularly  obnoxious  to  the  British  on 
account  of  the  strong  revolutionary  sentiment  of  its  people,  and  their 
many  open  acts  of  defiance  of  King  George's  authority.  When  the 
offensive  Stamp  Act  first  was  published,  the  people  of  Charleston  rose 
in  revolt;  and  the  stamps  for  the  city  being  stored  in  an  armed  fortress 
in  the  bay,  known  as  Castle  Johnson,  a  party  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
armed  men  went  down  the  bay,  surprised  the  garrison,  captured  the 
castle,  and,  loading  its  guns,  defied  the  authorities.  Not  until  the  promise 
had  been  made  that  the  stamps  should  be  sent  back  to  England,  did  the 
•rebellious  Carolinians  lay  down  their  arms.  Nor  was  their  peace  of  long 
duration.  When  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  reached  the  little 
Southern  seaport,  the  people  straightway  cast  about  for  an  opportunity  to 
strike  a  blow  against  the  tyranny  of  England.  The  opportunity  soon 
offered  itself.  An  English  sloop  laden  with  powder  was  lying  at  St. 
Augustine,  Fla.  Learning  this,  the  people  of  Charleston  fitted  out  a  vessel, 
which  captured  the  powder-ship,  and,  eluding  a  number  of  British  cruisers, 
returned  safely  to  Charleston  with  fifteen  thousand  pounds  of  gunpowder 
for  the  colonial  army.  Soon  after  the  colonial  troops  took  possession  of  the 
forts  in  the  harbor,  and  Charleston  became  a  revolutionary  stronghold. 

Therefore,  when  the  war  authorities  of  Great  Britain  prepared  to 
take  active,  offensive  measures  against  the  seaport  cities  of  the  rebellious 
colonies,  Charleston  was  one  of  the  first  points  chosen  for  attack.  It 
was  on  the  4th  of  June,  1776,  that  the  British  fleet,  under  the  command 
of  the  veteran  admiral,  Sir  Peter  Parker,  appeared  off  Charleston  bar. 
The  colonists  had  learned  of  its  approach  some  time  before ;  and  the 
town  was  crowded  with  troops,  both  regular  and  volunteer.  Two  forts, 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  55 

Johnson  and  Sullivan,  were  erected  at  points  commanding  the  entrance 
to  the  harbor.  Troops  were  thrown  out  to  oppose  the  advance  of  landing 
parties.  The  wharves  were  covered  with  breastworks,  and  the  streets 
leading  up  from  the  water-side  were  barricaded.  There  was  a  great  scarce 
ness  of  lead  for  bullets  ;  and  to  supply  that  need  the  leaden  sashes,  in 
which  window-panes  were  at  that  time  set,  were  melted  down.  When 
the  fleet  of  the  enemy  appeared  in  the  offing,  Charleston  was  quite  ready 
to  give  the  invaders  a  warm  reception. 

Fort  Sullivan  was  the  chief  work  in  the  harbor,  and  against  this 
Parker  began  a  vigorous  cannonade  early  on  the  morning  of  the  28th 
of  June.  The  fort  had  been  built  of  logs  of  palmetto  wood,  and  was 
looked  upon  with  some  distrust  by  its  defenders,  who  did  not  know  how 
well  that  material  could  withstand  cannon-shot;  but  the  opening  volley 
of  the  fleet  re-assured  them.  The  balls  penetrated  deep  in  the  soft, 
spongy  wood  without  detaching  any  of  the  splinters,  which,  in  a  battle, 
:are  more  dangerous  than  the  shot  themselves.  The  fort  soon  replied  to 
the  fire  of  the  fleet ;  and  the  thunder  of  three  hundred  cannon  rang  out 
over  the  bay,  while  dense  clouds  of  sulphurous  smoke  hid  the  scene  from 
.the  eager  gaze  of  the  crowds  of  people  on  the  housetops  of  the  city. 

When  the  stately  ships  of  the  British  squadron  swung  into  line 
before  the  little  wooden  fort,  there  was  hardly  a  sailor  who  did  not 
take  his  station  without  a  feeling  of  contempt  for  the  insignificant 
obstacle  that  they  were  about  to  sweep  from  their  path.  But  as  the 
;day  wore  on,  and  the  ceaseless  cannonade  seemed  to  have  no  effect  on 
the  bastions  of  the  fort,  the  case  began  to  look  serious. 

"Mind  the  commodore,  and  the  fifty-gun  ships,"  was  the  command 
Moultrie  gave  to  the  gunners  in  the  fort  when  the  action  commenced, 
and  right  well  did  they  heed  the  injunction.  The  quarter-decks  of  the 
ships-of-the-line  were  swept  clean  of  officers.  The  gunners  in  the  fort 
soon  found  that  the  fire  of  the  enemy  was  doing  little  or  no  execution, 
and  they  sighted  their  guns  as  coolly  as  though  out  for  a  day's  target 
practice.  The  huge  iron  balls  crashed  through  the  hulls  of  the  ships,  or 
swept  their  decks,  doing  terrific  execution.  The  cable  of  the  "Bristol" 
,was  shot  away,  and  she  swung  round  with  her  stern  to  the  fort.  In 
this  position  she  was  raked  repeatedly;  her  captain  was  killed,  and  at 
one  time  not  an  officer  remained  on  her  quarter-deck  except  the  admiral 


56  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

Sir  Peter  Parker.  When  the  conflict  ceased,  this  ship  alone  contained 
forty  killed  and  seventy-one  wounded  men.  The  other  ships  suffered 
nearly  as  severely.  The  twenty-eight-gun  ship  "Actaeon"  grounded 
during  the  course  of  the  engagement ;  and  when,  after  ten  hours'  fruitless 
cannonading,  the  British  abandoned  the  task  of  reducing  the  fort, 
and  determined  to  withdraw,  she  was  found  to  be  immovable.  Accord 
ingly  Admiral  Parker  signalled  to  her  officer  to  abandon  the  ship,  and 
set  her  on  fire.  This  was  accordingly  done ;  and  the  ship  was  left  with 
her  colors  flying,  and  her  guns  loaded.  This  movement  was  observed  by 
the  Americans,  who,  in  spite  of  the  danger  of  an  explosion,  boarded  the 
ship,  fired  her  guns  at  the  "Bristol,"  loaded  three  boats  with  stores,  and 
pulled  away,  leaving  the  "  Actaeon "  to  blow  up,  which  she  did  half  an 
hour  later. 

While  the  battle  was  at  its  hottest,  and  the  shot  and  shell  were 
flying  thick  over  the  fort,  the  flagstaff  was  shot  away;  and  the  flag  of 
South  Carolina,  a  blue  ground,  bearing  a  silver  crescent,  fell  on  the  beach 
outside  the  parapet.  Sergt.  William  Jasper,  seeing  this,  leaped  on  the 
bastion,  walked  calmly  through  the  storm  of  flying  missiles,  picked  up 
the  flag,  and  fastened  it  upon  a  sponge-staff.  Then  standing  upon  the 
highest  point  of  the  parapet,  in  full  view  of  the  ships  and  the  men  in 
the  fort,  he  calmly  fixed  the  staff  upright,  and  returned  to  his  place, 
leaving  the  flag  proudly  waving.  The  next  day  the  governor  of  the 
colony  visited  the  fort,  and  seeking  out  the  brave  sergeant,  handed'  him 
a  handsome  sword  and  a  lieutenant's  commission.  But  Jasper  proved  to 
be  as  modest  as  he  was  brave ;  for  he  declined  the  proffered  promotion, 
with  the  remark, — 

"  I  am  not  fit  to  keep  officers'  company  ;  I  am  but  a  sergeant." 
The  complete  failure  of  the  attack  upon  Charleston  was  a  bitter  pill 
for  the  English  to  swallow.  They  had  brought  against  the  raw,  untrained 
forces  of  the  colony  some  of  the  finest  ships  of  the  boasted  navy  of 
Great  Britain.  They  had  fought  well  and  pluckily.  The  fact  that  Sir 
Peter  Farker  was  in  command  was  in  itself  a  guaranty  that  the  attack 
would  be  a  spirited  one ;  and  the  tremendous  loss  of  life  in  the  fleet 
affords  convincing  proof  that  no  poltroonery  lurked  among  the  British 
sailors.  The  loss  of  the  British  during  the  engagement,  in  killed  and 
wounded,  amounted  to  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  men.  The  Americans 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  57 

had  ten  men  killed  and  twenty-two  wounded.  Moultrie,  the  commandant 
of  the  fort,  says  that  after  the  battle  was  over  they  picked  up  more 
than  twelve  hundred  solid  shot  of  different  sizes,  and  many  thirteen-inch 
shells.  Most  of  the  shells  that  fell  within  the  fort  fell  into  a  large 
pool  of  water,  which  extinguished  their  fuses,  thus  robbing  them  of  their 
power  for  evil. 

In  his  report  of  this  battle,  Admiral  Parker  fell  into  a  queer  error. 
He  reports  that  a  large  party  of  men  entering  the  fort  met  a  man  going 
out,  whom  they  straightway  hanged  to  a  neighboring  tree,  in  full  view  of 
the  fleet.  From  this  the  admiral  concluded  that  there  was  an  incipient 
mutiny  in  the  fort,  and  the  ringleader  was  hanged  as  an  example. 
Col.  Moultrie,  however,  explained  this  by  stating  that  the  man  hanging  in 
the  tree  was  simply  the  coat  of  a  soldier,  which  had  been  carried  away  by 
a  cannon-shot,  and  left  hanging  in  the  branches. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE  CAREER  OF  PAUL  JONES.  — IN  COMMAND  OF 
THE  "  PROVIDENCE."  —  CAPTURE  OF  THE  "MEL- 
LISH."  —  EXPLOITS  WITH  THE  "ALFRED."  — IN 
COMMAND  OF  THE  "  RANGER."  — SWEEPING  THE 
ENGLISH  CHANNEL.  —  THE  DESCENT  UPON 
WHITEHAVEN. 


E  HAVE  already  spoken  of  the  farcical  affair  between  the  fleet 
under  Ezekiel  Hopkins  and  the  English  frigate  "  Glasgow,"  in 
which  the  English  vessel,  by  superior  seamanship,  and  taking 
advantage  of  the  blunders  of  the  Americans,  escaped  capture. 
The  primary  result  of  this  battle  was  to  cause  the  dismissal  from  the 
service  of  Hopkins.  But  his  dismissal  led  to  the  advancement  of  a  young 
naval  officer,  whose  name  became  one  of  the  most  glorious  in  American 
naval  annals,  and  whose  fame  as  a  skilful  seaman  has  not  been  tarnished 
by  the  hand  of  time. 

At  the  time  of  the  escape  of  the  "Glasgow,"  there  was  serving  upon 
the  "Alfred"  a  young  lieutenant,  by  name  John  Paul  Jones.  Jones  was 
a  Scotchman.  His  rightful  name  was  John  Paul ;  but  for  some  reason; 
never  fully  understood,  he  had  assumed  the  surname  of  Jones,  and  his 
record  under  the  name  of  Paul  Jones  forms  one  of  the  most  glorious 
chapters  of  American  naval  history.  When  given  a  lieutenant's  commission 
in  the  colonial  navy,  Jones  was  twenty-nine  years  old.  From  the  day 
when  a  lad  of  thirteen  years  he  shipped  for  his  first  voyage,  he  had  spent 


CAPTAIN    JOHN    PAUL    JONES    QUELLING    THE    MOB 
AT  WHITE  HAVEN,  SCOTLAND,  NOV.,  1777 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  59 


his  life  on  the  ocean.  He  had  served  on  peaceful  merchantmen,  and  in 
the  less  peaceful,  but  at  that  time  equally  respectable,  slave-trade.  A 
small  inheritance  had  enabled  him  to  assume  the  station  of  a  Virginia 
gentleman  ;  and  he  had  become  warmly  attached  to  American  ideas  and 
principles,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  put  his  services  at  the 
command  of  Congress.  He  was  first  offered  a  captain's  commission  with 
the  command  of  the  "  Providence,"  mounting  twelve  guns  and  carrying  one 
hundred  men.  But  with  extraordinary  modesty  the  young  sailor  declined, 
saying  that  he  hardly  felt  himself  fitted  to  discharge  the  duties  of  a  first 
lieutenant.  The  lieutenant's  commission,  however,  he  accepted  ;  and  it  was 
in  this  station  that  with  his  own  hands  he  hoisted  the  first  American  flag 
to  the  masthead  of  the  "Alfred." 

The  wretched  fiasco  which  attended  the  attack  of  the  American  fleet 
upon  the  "Glasgow"  was  greatly  deplored  by  Jones.  However,  he 
refrained  from  any  criticism  upon  his  superiors,  and  sincerely  regretted 
the  finding  of  the  court  of  inquiry,  by  which  the  captain  of  the 
"Providence"  was  dismissed  the  service,  and  Lieut.  Paul  Jones  recom 
mended  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

The  duties  which  devolved  upon  Capt.  Jones  were  manifold  and 
arduous.  The  ocean  was  swarming  with  powerful  British  men-of-war, 
which  in  his  little  craft  he  must  avoid,  while  keeping  a  sharp  outlook 
for  foemen  with  whom  he  was  equally  matched.  More  than  once,  from 
the  masthead  of  the  "  Providence,"  the  lookout  could  discover  white  sails 
of  one  or  more  vessels,  any  one  of  which,  with  a  single  broadside,  could 
have  sent  the  audacious  Yankee  to  the  bottom.  But  luckily  the 
"Providence"  was  a  fast  sailer,  and  wonderfully  obedient  to  her  helm. 
To  her  good  sailing  qualities,  and  to  his  own  admirable  seamanship, 
Jones  owed  more  than  one  fortunate  escape.  Once,  when  almost  overtaken 
by  a  powerful  man-of-war,  he  edged  away  until  he  brought  his  pursuer 
on  his  weather  quarter ;  then,  putting  his  helm  up  suddenly,  he  stood  dead 
before  the  wind,  thus  doubling  on  his  course,  and  running  past  his 
adversary  within  pistol-shot  of  her  guns,  but  in  a  course  directly  opposite 
to  that  upon  which  she  was  standing.  The  heavy  war-ship  went  plunging 
ahead  like  a  heavy  hound  eluded  by  the  agile  fox,  and  the  Yankee 
proceeded  safely  on  her  course. 

Some  days  later  the  "  Providence  "  was  lying  to  on  the  great  banks 


60  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

near  the  Isle  of  Sables.  It  was  a  holiday  for  the  crew  ;  for  no  sails  were 
in  sight,  and  Capt.  Jones  had  indulgently  allowed  them  to  get  out  their 
cod-lines  and  enjoy  an  afternoon's  fishing.  In  the  midst  of  their  sport, 
as  they  were  hauling  in  the  finny  monsters  right  merrily,  the  hail  of  the 
lookout  warned  them  that  a  strange  sail  was  in  sight.  The  stranger  drew 
rapidly  nearer,  and  was  soon  made  out  to  be  a  war-vessel.  Jones,  finding 
after  a  short  trial  that  his  light  craft  could  easily  outstrip  the  lumbering 
man-of-war,  managed  to  keep  just  out  of  reach.  Now  and  then  the  pursuer 
would  luff  up  and  let  fly  a  broadside;  the  shot  skipping  along  over  the 
waves,  but  sinking  before  they  reached  the  "  Providence."  Jones,  who 
had  an  element  of  humor  in  his  character,  responded  to  this  cannonade 
with  one  musket,  which,  with  great  solemnity,  was  discharged  in  response 
to  each  broadside.  After  keeping  up  this  burlesque  battle  for  some  hours, 
the  "  Providence "  spread  her  sails,  and  soon  left  her  foe  hull  down 
beneath  the  horizon. 

After  having  thus  eluded  his  pursuer,  Jones  skirted  the  coast  of  Cape 
Breton,  and  put  into  the  harbor  of  Canso,  where  he  found  three  British 
fishing  schooners  lying  at  anchor.  The  inhabitants  of  the  little  fishing 
village  were  electrified  to  see  the  "  Providence  "  cast  anchor  in  the  harbor, 
and,  lowering  her  boats,  send  two  crews  of  armed  sailors  to  seize  the 
British  craft.  No  resistance  was  made,  however ;  and  the  Americans 
burned  one  schooner,  scuttled  a  second,  and  after  filling  the  third  with 
fish,  taken  from  the  other  two,  took  her  out  of  the  harbor  with  the 
"  Providence  "  leading  the  way. 

From  the  crew  of  the  captured  vessel,  Jones  learned  that  at  the 
Island  of  Madame,  not  far  from  Canso,  there  was  a  considerable  flotilla 
of  British  merchantmen.  Accordingly  he  proceeded  thither  with  the 
intention  of  destroying  them.  On  arriving,  he  found  the  harbor  too 
shallow  to  admit  the  "  Providence  ;  "  and  accordingly  taking  up  a  position 
from  which  he  could,  with  his  cannon,  command  the  harbor,  he  despatched 
armed  boats'  crews  to  attack  the  shipping.  On  entering  the  harbor,  the 
Americans  found  nine  British  vessels  lying  at  anchor.  Ships  and  brigs, 
as  well  as  small  fishing  schooners,  were  in  the  fleet.  It  was  a  rich  prize 
for  the  Americans,  and  it  was  won  without  bloodshed  ;  for  the  peaceful 
fishermen  offered  no  resistance  to  the  Yankees,  and  looked  upon  the 
capture  of  their  vessels  with  amazement.  The  condition  of  these  poor 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76.  6l 


men,  thus  left  on  a  bleak  coast  with  no  means  of  escape,  appealed  strongly 
to  Jones's  humanity.  He  therefore  told  them,  that,  if  they  would  assist  him 
in  making  ready  for  sea  such  of  the  prizes  as  he  wished  to  take  with  him, 
he  would  leave  them  vessels  enough  to  carry  them  back  to  England.  The 
fishermen  heartily  agreed  to  the  proposition,  and  worked  faithfully  for 
several  days  at  the  task  of  fitting  out  the  captured  vessels.  The  night 
before  the  day  on  which  Jones  had  intended  leaving  the  harbor,  the  wind 
came  on  to  blow,  and  a  violent  storm  of  wind  and  rain  set  in.  Even  the 
usually  calm  surface  of  the  little  harbor  was  lashed  to  fury  by  the  shrieking 
wind.  The  schooner  "  Sea-Flower  "  —  one  of  the  captured  prizes  —  was 
torn  from  her  moorings  ;  and  though  her  crew  got  out  the  sweeps,  and 
struggled  valiantly  for  headway  against  the  driving  storm,  she  drifted  on 
shore,  and  lay  there  a  total  wreck.  The  schooner  "  Ebenezer,"  which 
Jones  had  brought  from  Canso  laden  with  fish,  drifted  on  a  sunken  reef, 
and  was  there  so  battered  by  the  roaring  waves  that  she  went  to  pieces. 
Her  crew,  after  vainly  striving  to  launch  the  boats,  built  a  raft,  and  saved 
themselves  on  that. 

The  next  day  the  storm  abated ;  and  Capt.  Jones,  taking  with  him 
three  heavily  laden  prizes,  left  the  harbor,  and  turned  his  ship's  prow 
homeward.  The  voyage  to  Newport,  then  the  headquarters  of  the  little 
navy,  was  made  without  other  incident  than  the  futile  chase  of  three 
British  ships,  which  ran  into  the  harbor  of  Louisbourg.  On  his  arrival, 
Jones  reported  that  he  had  been  cruising  for  forty-seven  days,  and  in 
that  time  had  captured  sixteen  prizes,  beside  the  fishing-vessels  he  burned 
at  Cape  Breton.  Eight  of  his  prizes  he  had  manned,  and  sent  into  port ; 
the  remainder  he  had  burned.  It  was  the  first  effective  blow  the  colonists 
had  yet  struck  at  their  powerful  foe  upon  the  ocean. 

Hardly  had  Paul  Jones  completed  this  first  cruise,  when  his  mind,  ever 
active  in  the  service  of  his  country,  suggested  to  him  a  new  enterprise 
in  which  he  might  contribute  to  the  cause  of  American  liberty.  At  this 
early  period  of  the  Revolution,  the  British  were  treating  American  prisoners 
with  almost  inconceivable  barbarity.  Many  were  sent  to  the  "  Old  Jersey  " 
prison-ship,  of  whose  horrors  we  shall  read  something  later  on.  Others, 
to  the  number  of  about  a  hundred,  were  taken  to  Cape  Breton,  and 
forced  to  labor  like  Russian  felons  in  the  underground  coal-mines. 
Jones's  plan  was  bold  in  its  conception,  but  needed  only  energy  and 
promptitude  to  make  it  perfectly  feasible. 


62  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

He  besought  the  authorities  to  give  him  command  of  a  squadron,  that 
he  might  move  on  Cape  Breton,  destroy  the  British  coal  and  fishing 
vessels  always  congregated  there,  and  liberate  the  hapless  Americans 
who  were  passing  their  lives  in  the  dark  misery  of  underground  mining. 
His  plan  was  received  with  favor,  but  the  authorities  lacked  the  means 
to  give  him  the  proper  aid.  However,  two  vessels,  the  "  Alfred "  and 
the  "  Providence,"  were  assigned  to  him  ;  and  he  went  speedily  to  work 
to  prepare  for  the  adventure.  At  the  outset,  he  was  handicapped  by  lack 
of  men.  The  privateers  were  then  fitting  out  in  every  port;  and  seamen 
saw  in  privateering  easier  service,  milder  discipline,  and  greater  profits 
than  they  could  hope  for  in  the  regular  navy.  When,  by  hard  work,  the 
muster-roll  of  the  "Alfred"  showed  her  full  complement  of  men  shipped, 
the  stormy  month  of  November  had  arrived,  and  the  golden  hour  for 
success  was  past. 

Nevertheless,  Jones,  taking  command  of  the  "Alfred,"  and  putting 
the  "Providence"  in  the  command  of  Capt.  Hacker,  left  Newport,  and 
laid  his  course  to  the  northward.  When  he  arrived  off  the  entrance  to 
the  harbor  of  Louisbourg,  he  was  so  lucky  as  to  encounter  an  English 
brig,  the  "Hellish,"  which,  after  a  short  resistance,  struck  her  flag.  She 
proved  to  be  laden  with  heavy  warm  clothing  for  the  British  troops  in 
Canada.  This  capture  was  a  piece  of  great  good  fortune  for  the  Americans, 
and  many  a  poor  fellow  in  Washington's  army  that  winter  had  cause 
to  bless  Paul  Jones  for  his  activity  and  success. 

The  day  succeeding  the  capture  of  the  "  Mellish  "  dawned  gray  and 
cheerless.  Light  flurries  of  snow  swept  across  the  waves,  and  by  noon 
a  heavy  snowstorm,  driven  by  a  violent  north-east  gale,  darkened  the 
air,  and  lashed  the  waves  into  fury.  Jones  stood  dauntless  at  his  post 
on  deck,  encouraging  the  sailors  by  cheery  words,  and  keeping  the  sturdy 
little  vessel  on  her  course.  All  day  and  night  the  storm  roared ;  and 
when,  the  next  morning,  Jones,  wearied  by  his  ceaseless  vigilance,  looked 
anxiously  across  the  waters  for  his  consort,  she  was  not  to  be  seen.  The 
people  on  the  "Alfred"  supposed,  of  course,  that  the  "Providence"  was 
lost,  with  all  on  board,  and  mourned  the  sad  fate  of  their  comrades.  But, 
in  fact,  Capt.  Hacker,  affrighted  by  the  storm,  had  basely  deserted  his 
leader  during  the  night,  and  made  off  for  Newport,  leaving  Jones  to 
prosecute  his  enterprise  alone. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  63 

Jones  recognized  in  this  desertion  the  knell  of  the  enterprise  upon 
which  he  had  embarked.  Nevertheless,  he  disdained  to  return  to  port : 
so  sending  the  "  Hellish  "  and  a  second  prize,  which  the  British  afterwards 
recaptured,  back  to  Massachusetts,  he  continued  his  cruise  along  the 
Nova  Scotia  coast.  Again  he  sought  out  the  harbor  of  Canso,  and, 
entering  it,  found  a  large  English  transport  laden  with  provisions  aground 
just  inside  the  bar.  Boats'  crews  from  the  " Alfred"  soon  set  the  torch 
to  the  stranded  ship,  and  then,  landing,  fired  a  huge  warehouse  filled 
with  whale-oil  and  the  products  of  the  fisheries.  Leaving  the  blazing 
pile  behind,  the  "  Alfred  "  put  out  again  into  the  stormy  sea,  and  made 
for  the  northward. 

As  he  approached  Louisbourg,  Jones  fell  in  with  a  considerable  fleet 
of  British  coal-vessels,  in  convoy  of  the  frigate  "  Flora."  A  heavy  fog 
hung  over  the  ocean ;  and  the  fleet  Yankee,  flying  here  and  there, 
was  able  to  cut  out  and  capture  three  of  the  vessels  without  alarming 
the  frigate,  that  continued  unsuspectingly  on  her  course.  Two  days  later, 
Jones  snapped  up  a  Liverpool  privateer,  that  fired  scarcely  a  single  gun 
in  resistance.  Then  crowded  with  prisoners,  embarrassed  by  prizes,  and 
short  of  food  and  water,  the  "Alfred  turned  her  course  homeward. 

Five  valuable  prizes  sailed  in  her  wake.  Anxiety  for  the  safety  of 
these  gave  Jones  no  rest  by  day  or  night.  He  was  ceaselessly  on  the 
watch  lest  some  hostile  man-of-war  should  overhaul  his  fleet,  and  force 
him  to  abandon  his  hard-won  fruits  of  victory.  All  went  well  until, 
when  off  St.  George's  Bank,  he  encountered  the  frigate  "Milford,"  —  the 
same  craft  to  whose  cannon-balls  Jones,  but  a  few  months  before,  had 
tauntingly  responded  with  musket-shots. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  "  Milford  "  was  sighted ;  and 
Jones,  seeing  that  she  could  by  no  possibility  overtake  his  squadron 
before  night,  ordered  his  prizes  to  continue  their  course  without  regard 
to  any  lights  or  apparent  signals  from  the  "Alfred."  When  darkness  fell 
upon  the  sea,  the  Yankees  were  scudding  along  on  the  starboard  tack, 
with  the  Englishman  coming  bravely  up  astern.  From  the  tops  of  the 
"  Alfred "  swung  two  burning  lanterns,  which  the  enemy  doubtless 
pronounced  a  bit  of  beastly  stupidity  on  the  part  of  the  Yankee, 
affording,  as  it  did,  an  excellent  guide  for  the  pursuer  to  steer  by.  But 
during  the  night  the  wily  Jones  changed  his  course.  The  prizes,  with 


64  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

the  exception  of  the  captured  privateer,  continued  on  the  starboard  tack. 
The  "  Alfred "  and  the  privateer  made  off  on  the  port  tack,  with  the 
"  Milford  "  in  full  cry  in  their  wake.  Not  until  the  morning  dawned  did 
the  Englishman  discover  how  he  had  been  tricked. 

Having  thus  secured  the  safety  of  his  prizes,  it  only  remained  for 
Jones  to  escape  with  the  privateer.  Unluckily,  however,  the  officer  put 
in  charge  of  the  privateer  proved  incapable,  and  his  craft  fell  into  hands 
of  the  British.  Jones,  however,  safely  carried  the  "Alfred"  clear  of  the 
"  Milford's  "  guns,  and,  a  heavy  storm  coming  up,  soon  eluded  his  foe  in 
the  snow  and  darkness.  Thereupon  he  shaped  his  course  for  Boston, 
where  he  arrived  on  the  5th  of  December,  1776.  Had  he  been  delayed 
two  days  longer,  both  his  provisions  and  his  water  would  have  been 
exhausted. 

For  the  ensuing  six  months  Jones  remained  on  shore,  not  by  any  means 
inactive,  for  his  brain  was  teeming  with  great  projects  for  his  country's 
service.  He  had  been  deprived  of  the  command  of  the  "Alfred,"  and 
another  ship  was  not  easily  to  be  found  :  so  he  turned  his  attention  to 
questions  of  naval  organization,  and  the  results  of  many  of  his  suggestions 
are  observable  in  the  United  States  navy  to-day.  It  was  not  until  June 
14,  1777,  that  a  command  was  found  for  him.  This  was  the  eighteen-gun 
ship  "  Ranger,"  built  to  carry  a  frigate's  battery  of  twenty-six  guns.  She 
had  been  built  for  the  revolutionary  government,  at  Portsmouth,  and  was  a 
stanch-built,  solid  craft,  though  miserably  slow  and  somewhat  crank. 
Jones,  though  disappointed  with  the  sailing  qualities  of  the  craft,  was 
nevertheless  vastly  delighted  to  be  again  in  command  of  a  man-of-war,  and 
wasted  no  time  in  getting  her  ready  for  sea. 

It  so  happened,  that,  on  the  very  day  Paul  Jones  received  his  commission 
as  commander  of  the  "  Ranger,"  the  Continental  Congress  adopted  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  for  the  national  flag.  Jones,  anticipating  this  action, 
had  prepared  a  flag  in  accordance  with  the  proposed  designs,  and,  upon 
hearing  of  the  action  of  Congress,  had  it  run  to  the  masthead,  while  the 
cannon  of  the  "  Ranger "  thundered  out  their  deep-mouthed  greetings  to 
the  starry  banner  destined  to  wave  over  the  most  glorious  nation  of  the 
earth.  Thus  it  happened  that  the  same  hand  that  had  given  the  pine-tree 
banner  to  the  winds  was  the  first  to  fling  out  to  the  breezes  the  bright  folds 
of  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  65 

Early  in  October  the  "  Ranger "  left  Portsmouth,  and  made  for  the 
coast  of  France.  Astute  agents  of  the  Americans  in  that  country  were 
having  a  fleet,  powerful  frigate  built  there  for  Jones,  which  he  was  to 
take,  leaving  the  sluggish  "  Ranger "  to  be  sold.  But,  on  his  arrival  at 
Nantes,  Jones  was  grievously  disappointed  to  learn  that  the  British 
Government  had  so  vigorously  protested  against  the  building  of  a  vessel- 
of-war  in  France  for  the  Americans,  that  the  French  Government  had  been 
obliged  to  notify  the  American  agents  that  their  plan  must  be  abandoned. 
France  was  at  this  time  at  peace  with  Great  Britain,  and,  though  inclined 
to  be  friendly  with  the  rebellious  colonies,  was  not  ready  to  entirely 
abandon  her  position  as  a  neutral  power.  Later,  when  she  took  up  arms 
against  England,  she  gave  the  Americans  every  right  in  her  ports  they 
could  desire. 

Jones  thus  found  himself  in  European  waters  with  a  vessel  too  weak  to 
stand  against  the  frigates  England  could  send  to  take  her,  and  too  slow 
to  elude  them.  But  he  determined  to  strike  some  effective  blows  for  the 
cause  of  liberty.  Accordingly  he  planned  an  enterprise,  which,  for  audacity 
of  conception  and  dash  in  execution,  has  never  been  equalled  by  any  naval 
expedition  since. 

This  was  nothing  less  than  a  virtual  invasion  of  England.  The 
"Ranger"  lay  at  Brest.  Jones  planned  to  dash  across  the  English 
Channel,  and  cruise  along  the  coast  of  England,  burning  shipping  and 
towns,  as  a  piece  of  retaliation  upon  the  British  for  their  wanton  outrages 
along  the  American  coast.  It  was  a  bold  plan.  The  channel  was 
thronged  with  the  heavy  frigates  of  Great  Britain,  any  one  of  which 
could  have  annihilated  the  audacious  Yankee  cruiser.  Nevertheless,  Jones 
determined  to  brave  the  danger. 

At  the  outset,  it  seemed  as  though  his  purpose  was  to  be  balked  by 
heavy  weather.  For  days  after  the  "  Ranger "  left  Brest,  she  battled 
against  the  chop-seas  of  the  English  Channel.  The  sky  was  dark,  and  the 
light  of  the  sun  obscured  by  gray  clouds.  The  wind  whistled  through 
the  rigging,  and  tore  at  the  tightly  furled  sails.  Great  green  walls  of 
water,  capped  with  snowy  foam,  beat  thunderously  against  the  sides 
of  the  "Ranger."  Now  and  then  a  port  would  be  driven  in,  and  the 
men  between  decks  drenched  by  the  incoming  deluge.  The  "  Ranger" 
had  encountered  an  equinoctial  gale  in  its  worst  form. 


66  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 

When  the  gale  died  away,  Jones  found  himself  off  the  Scilly  Islands, 
in  full  view  of  the  coast  of  England.  Here  he  encountered  a  merchant 
man,  which  he  took  and  scuttled,  sending  the  crew  ashore  to  spread  the 
news  that  an  American  man-of-war  was  ravaging  the  channel.  Having 
alarmed  all  England,  he  changed  his  hunting-ground  to  St.  George's 
Channel  and  the  Irish  Sea,  where  he  captured  several  ships  ;  sending  one, 
a  prize,  back  to  Brest.  He  was  in  waters  with  which  he  had  been 
familiar  from  his  youth,  and  he  made  good  use  of  his  knowledge ;  dashing 
here  and  there,  lying  in  wait  in  the  highway  of  commerce,  and  then 
secreting  himself  in  some  sequestered  cove  while  the  enemy's  ship-of-war 
went  by  in  fruitless  search  for  the  marauder.  All  England  was  aroused 
by  the  exploits  of  the  Yankee  cruiser.  Never  since  the  days  of  the 
Invincible  Armada  had  war  been  so  brought  home  to  the  people  of 
the  tight  little  island.  Long  had  the  British  boastfully  claimed  the  title 
of  monarch  of  the  seas.  Long  had  they  sung  the  vainglorious  song, — 

"  Britannia  needs  no  bulwarks, 
No  towers  along  the  steep; 
Her  march  is  o'er  the  mountain  waves, 
Her  home  is  on  the  deep." 

But  Paul  Jones  showed  Great  Britain  that  her  boasted  power  was  a 
bubble.  He  ravaged  the  seas  within  cannon-shot  of  English  headlands. 
He  captured  and  burned  merchantmen,  drove  the  rates  of  insurance  up 
to  panic  prices,  paralyzed  British  shipping-trade,  and  even  made  small 
incursions  into  British  territory. 

The  reports  that  reached  Jones  of  British  barbarity  along  the  American 
coast,  of  the  burning  of  Falmouth,  of  tribute  levied  on  innumerable 
seaport  towns, — all  aroused  in  him  a  determination  to  strike  a  retaliatory 
blow.  Whitehaven,  a  small  seaport,  was  the  spot  chosen  by  him  for 
attack ;  and  he  brought  his  ship  to  off  the  mouth  of  the  harbor  late 
one  night,  intending  to  send  in  a  boat's  crew  to  fire  the  shipping.  But 
so  strong  a  wind  sprung  up,  as  to  threaten  to  drive  the  ship  ashore ; 
and  Jones  was  forced  to  make  sail,  and  get  an  offing.  A  second  attempt, 
made  upon  a  small  harbor  called  Lochryan,  on  the  western  coast  of 
Scotland,  was  defeated  by  a  like  cause. 

But  the  expedition  against  Lochryan,  though  in  itself   futile,  was   the 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76.  67 

means  of  giving  Jones  an  opportunity  to  show  his  merits  as  a  fighter. 
Soon  after  leaving  Lochryan,  he  entered  the  bay  of  Carrichfergus,  on 
which  is  situated  the  Irish  commercial  city  of  Belfast.  The  bay  was 
constantly  filled  with  merchantmen ;  and  the  "  Ranger,"  with  her  ports 
closed,  and  her  warlike  character  carefully  disguised,  excited  no  suspicion 
aboard  a  trim,  heavy-built  craft  that  lay  at  anchor  a  little  farther  up 
the  bay.  This  craft  was  the  British  man-of-war  "Drake,"  mounting 
twenty  guns.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  the  bay,  Jones  learned  the  char 
acter  of  the  "  Drake,"  and  determined  to  attempt  her  capture  during 
the  night.  Accordingly  he  dropped  anchor  near  by,  and,  while  carefully 
concealing  the  character  of  his  craft,  made  every  preparation  for  a 
midnight  fight.  The  men  sat  between  decks,  sharpening  cutlasses,  and 
cleaning  and  priming  their  pistols ;  the  cannon  were  loaded  with  grape, 
and  depressed  for  work  at  close  quarters ;  battle  lanterns  were  hung  in 
place,  ready  to  be  lighted  at  the  signal  for  action. 

At  ten  o'clock,  the  tramp  of  men  about  the  capstan  gave  notice  that 
tliQ  anchor  was  being  brought  to  the  catheads.  Soon  the  creaking  of 
cordage,  and  the  snapping  of  the  sails,  told  that  the  fresh  breeze  was 
being  caught  by  the  spreading  sails.  Then  the  waves  rippled  about  the 
bow  of  the  ship,  and  the  "  Ranger "  was  fairly  under  way. 

It  was  a  pitch-dark  night,  but  the  lights  on  board  the  "  Drake " 
showed  where  she  was  lying.  On  the  "  Ranger "  all  lights  were  extin 
guished,  and  no  noise  told  of  her  progress  towards  her  enemy.  It  was 
the  captain's  plan  to  run  his  vessel  across  the  "  Drake's "  cable,  drop 
his  own  anchor,  let  the  "  Ranger "  swing  alongside  the  Englishman,  and 
then  fight  it  out  at  close  quarters.  But  this  plan,  though  well  laid, 
failed  of  execution.  The  anchor  was  not  let  fall  in  season ;  and  the 
"Ranger,"  instead  of  bringing  up  alongside  her  enemy,  came  to  anchor 
half  a  cable-length  astern.  The  swift-flowing  tide  and  the  fresh  breeze 
made  it  impossible  to  warp  the  ship  alongside :  so  Jones  ordered  the 
cable  cut,  and  the  "  Ranger "  scudded  down  the  bay  before  the  ever- 
freshening  gale.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  people  on  the  "  Drake " 
were  aware  of  the  danger  they  so  narrowly  escaped. 

The  wind  that  had  aided  the  tide  in  defeating  Jones's  enterprise 
blew  stronger  and  stronger,  and  before  morning  the  sea  was  tossing 
before  a  regular  north-east  gale.  Against  it  the  "  Ranger "  could 


68  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

make  no  headway  :  so  Jones  gave  his  ship  her  head,  and  scudded  before 
the  wind  until  within  the  vicinity  of  Whitehaven,  when  he  determined 
to  again  attempt  to  destroy  the  shipping  m  that  port.  This  time  he 
was  successful.  Bringing  the  "  Ranger "  to  anchor  near  the  bar,  Capt 
Jones  called  for  volunteers  to  accompany  him  on  the  expedition. 
He  himself  was  to  be  their  leader ;  for  as  a  boy  he  had  often  sailed 
in  and  out  of  the  little  tu.rbor,  knew  where  the  forts  stood,  and 
where  the  colliers  anchored  most  thickly.  The  landing  party  was 
divided  into  two  boat-loads ;  Jones  taking  command  of  one,  while 
Lieut.  Wallingford  held  the  tiller  of  the  other  boat.  With  muffled 
oars  the  Americans  made  for  the  shore,  the  boats'  keels  grated  upon 
the  pebbly  shore,  and  an  instant  later  the  adventurers  had  scaled  the 
ramparts  of  the  forts,  and  had  made  themselves  masters  of  the  garrisons. 
All  was  done  quietly.  The  guns  in  the  fortifications  were  spiked  ;  and, 
leaving  the  few  soldiers  on  guard  gagged  and  bound,  Jones  and  his 
followers  hastened  down  to  the  wharves  to  set  fire  to  the  shipping. 

In  the  harbor  were  not  less  than  two  hundred  and  twenty  vessels, 
Jarge  and  small.  On  the  north  side  of  the  harbor,  near  the  forts, 
were  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  vessels.  These  Jones  undertook  to 
destroy.  The  others  were  left  to  Lieut.  Wallingford,  with  his  boat's 
crew  of  fifteen  picked  men. 

When  Jones  and  his  followers  reached  the  cluster  of  merchantmen, 
they  found  their  torches  so  far  burned  out  as  to  be  useless.  Failure 
stared  them  in  the  face  then,  when  success  was  almost  within  their 
grasp.  Jones,  however,  was  not  to  be  balked  of  his  prey.  Running 
his  boat  ashore,  he  hastened  to  a  neighboring  house,  where  he 
demanded  candles.  With  these  he  returned,  led  his  men  aboard  a 
large  ship  from  which  the  crew  fled,  and  deliberately  built  a  fire  in 
her  hold.  Lest  the  fire  should  go  out,  he  found  a  barrel  of  tar,  and 
threw  it  upon  the  flames.  Then  with  the  great  ship  roaring  and 
crackling,  and  surrounded  by  scores  of  other  vessels  in  danger  from 
the  flames,  Jones  withdrew,  thinking  his  work  complete. 

Many  writers  have  criticised  Paul  Jones  for  not  having  stayed 
longer  to  complete  the  destruction  of  the  vessels  in  the  harbor.  But, 
with  the  gradually  brightening  day,  his  position,  which  was  at  the 
best  very  dangerous,  was  becoming  desperate.  There  were  one 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  69 


hundred  and  fifty  vessels  in  that  part  of  the  harbor ;  the  crews 
averaged  ten  men  to  a  vessel :  so  that  nearly  hfteen  hundred  men 
were  opposed  to  the  plucky  little  band  of  Americans.  The  roar  of 
the  fire  aroused  the  people  of  the  town,  and  they  rushed  in  crowds 
to  the  wharf.  In  describing  the  affair  Jones  writes,  "  The  inhabitants 
began  to  appear  in  thousands,  and  individuals  ran  hastily  toward  us. 
I  stood  between  them  and  the  ship  on  fire,  with  my  pistol  in  my 
hand,  and  ordered  them  to  stand,  which  they  did  with  some 
precipitation.  The  sun  was  a  full  hour's  march  above  the  horizon ; 
and,  as  sleep  no  longer  ruled  the  world,  it  was  time  to  retire. 
We  re-embarked  without  opposition,  having  released  a  number  of 
prisoners,  as  our  boats  could  not  carry  them.  After  all  my  people 
had  embarked,  I  stood  upon  the  pier  for  a  considerable  space,  yet 
no  person  advanced.  I  saw  all  the  eminences  round  the  town 
covered  with  the  amazed  inhabitants." 

As  his  boat  drew  away  from  the  blazing  shipping,  Jones  looked 
anxiously  across  the  harbor  to  the  spot  to  which  Lieut.  Wallingford 
had  been  despatched.  But  no  flames  were  seen  in  that  quarter;  for, 
Wallingford's  torches  having  gone  out,  he  had  abandoned  the  enter 
prise.  And  so  the  Americans,  having  regained  their  ship,  took  their 
departure,  leaving  only  one  of  the  enemy's  vessels  burning.  A  most 
lame  and  impotent  conclusion  it  was  indeed ;  but,  as  Jones  said,  "  Wh  at 
was  done  is  sufficient  to  show  that  not  all  the  boasted  British  navy  is 
sufficient  to  protect  their  own  coasts,  and  that  the  scenes  of  distress 
which  they  have  occasioned  in  America  may  soon  be  brought  home  to 
their  own  doors." 


CHAPTER   VII. 


CAREER  OF  PAUL  JONES  CONTINUED. —  HIS  DESCENT  UPON  THE  CASTLE  OF  LORD  SELKIRK 
—  THE  AFFAIR  OF  THE  PLATE.  —  THE  DESCENT  UPON  WHITEHAVEN.  —  THE  BATTLi 
WITH  THE  "DRAKE."  — LIEUT.  SIMPSON'S  PERFIDY. 

E  NOW  come  to  the  glorious  part  of  the  career  of  Paul  Jones 
upon  the  ocean.  Heretofore  he  has  been  chiefly  occupied  in 
the  capture  of  defenceless  merchantmen.  His  work  has  been 
that  of  the  privateer,  even  if  not  of  the  pirate  that  the  British 
have  always  claimed  he  was.  But  the  time  came  when  Jones  proved 
that  he  was  ready  to  fight  an  adversary  of  his  mettle  ;  was  willing  to  take 
heavy  blows,  and  deal  stunning  ones  in  return.  His  daring  was  not 
confined  to  dashing  expeditions  in  which  the  danger  was  chiefly  overcome 
by  spirit  and  rapid  movements.  While  this  class  of  operations  was  ever1 
a  favorite  with  the  doughty  seaman,  he  was  not  at  all  averse  to  the  deadly 
naval  duel. 

We  shall  for  a  time  abandon  our  account  of  the  general  naval  incidents 
of  the  Revolution,  to  follow  the  career  of  Paul  Jones  to  the  end  of  the 
war.  His  career  is  not  only  the  most  interesting,  but  the  most  important, 
feature  of  the  naval  operations  of  that  war.  He  stands  out  alone,  a 
grand  figure  in  naval  history,  as  does  Decatur  in  the  wars  with  the 
Barbary  pirates,  or  Farragut  in  the  war  for  the  Union.  The  war  of  1812 
70 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  7 1 


affords  no  such  example  of  single  greatness  in  the  navy.  There  we 
find  Perry,  McDonough,  and  Porter,  all  equally  great.  But  in  '76  there 
was  no  one  to  stand  beside  Paul  Jones. 

When  the  "Ranger"  left  the  harbor  of  Whitehaven,  her  captain  was 
heavy  hearted.  He  felt  that  he  had  had  the  opportunity  to  strike  a 
heavy  blow  at  the  British  shipping,  but  had  nevertheless  inflicted  only 
a  trifling  hurt.  Angry  with  himself  for  not  having  better  planned  the 
adventure,  and  discontented  with  his  lieutenant  for  not  having  by  presence 
of  mind  prevented  the  fiasco,  he  felt  that  peace  of  mind  could  only  be 
obtained  by  some  deed  of  successful  daring. 

He  was  cruising  in  seas  familiar  to  him  as  a  sailor.  Along  the 
Scottish  shores  his  boyhood  hours  had  been  spent.  This  knowledge 
he  sought  to  turn  to  account.  From  the  deck  of  his  ship,  he  could 
see  the  wooded  shores  of  St.  Mary's  Island,  on  which  were  the  landed 
estates  of  Lord  Selkirk,  a  British  noble  of  ancient  lineage  and  political 
prominence.  On  the  estate  of  this  nobleman  Paul  Jones  was  born,  and 
there  he  passed  the  few  years  of  his  life  that  elapsed  before  he  forsook 
the  land  for  his  favorite  element. 

Leaning  against  the  rail  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the  "  Ranger,"  Jones 
could  see  through  his  spy-glass  the  turrets  and  spires  of  Lord  Selkirk's 
castle.  As  he  gazed,  there  occurred  to  him  the  idea,  that  if  he  could 
send  a  landing  party  ashore,  seize  the  castle,  capture  the  peer,  and 
bear  him  off  into  captivity,  he  would  not  only  strike  terror  into  the  hearts 
of  the  British,  but  would  give  the  Americans  a  prisoner  who  would  serve 
as  a  hostage  to  secure  good  treatment  for  the  hapless  Americans  who  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

With  Jones,  the  conception  of  a  plan  was  followed  by  its  swift 
execution.  Disdaining  to  wait  for  nightfall,  he  chos.e  two  boats'  crews 
of  tried  and  trusty  men,  and  landed.  The  party  started  up  the  broad 
and  open  highway  leading  to  the  castle.  They  had  gone  but  a  few  rods, 
however,  when  they  encountered  two  countrymen,  who  stared  a  moment 
at  the  force  of  armed  men,  and  then  turned  in  fear  to  escape. 

"  Halt ! "  rang  out  the  clear  voice  of  the  leader  of  the  blue-jackets ; 
and  the  peasants  fell  upon  their  faces  in  abject  terror.  Jones  directed  that 
they  be  brought  to  him  ;  and  he  questioned  them  kindly,  setting  their 
minds  at  rest,  and  learning  from  them  much  of  the  castle  and  its  inmates*1 


72  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

Lord  Selkirk  was  away  from  home.  This  to  Jones  was  bitter  news.  It 
seemed  as  though  some  evil  genius  was  dogging  his  footsteps,  bringing 
failure  upon  his  most  carefully  planned  enterprises.  But  he  was  not  a 
man  to  repine  over  the  inevitable,  and  he  promptly  ordered  his  men  to 
the  right  about,  and  made  for  the  landing-place  again. 

But  the  sailors  were  not  so  unselfish  in  their  motives  as  their  captain. 
They  had  come  ashore  expecting  to  plunder  the  castle  of  the  earl, 
and  they  now  murmured  loudly  over  the  abandonment  of  the  adventure. 
They  saw  the  way  clear  before  them.  No  guards  protected  the  house. 
The  massive  ancestral  plate,  with  which  all  English  landed  families  are 
well  provided,  was  unprotected  by  bolts  or  bars.  They  felt  that,  in 
retreating,  they  were  throwing  away  a  chance  to  despoil  their  enemy, 
and  enrich  themselves. 

Jones  felt  the  justice  of  the  complaint  of  the  sailors;  but  only  after 
a  fierce  struggle  with  his  personal  scruples  could  he  yield  the  point. 
The  grounds  of  the  Earl  of  Selkirk  had  been  his  early  playground. 
A  lodge  on  the  vast  estate  had  been  his  childhood's  home.  Lady  Selkirk 
had  shown  his  family  many  kindnesses.  To  now  come  to  her  house  as 
a  robber  and  pillager,  seemed  the  blackest  ingratitude  ;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  had  no  right  to  permit  his  personal  feelings  to  interfere  with 
his  duty  to  the  crew.  The  sailors  had  followed  him  into  danger  many 
a  time,  and  this  was  their  first  opportunity  for  financial  reward.  And, 
even  if  it  was  fair  to  deny  them  this  chance  to  make  a  little  prize-money, 
it  would  hardly  be  safe  to  sow  the  seeds  of  discontent  among  the  crew 
while  on  a  cruise  in  waters  infested  with  the  enemy's  ships.  With  a  sigh 
Jones  abandoned  his  intention  of  protecting  the  property  of  Lady  Selkirk, 
and  ordered  his  lieutenant  to  proceed  to  the  castle,  and  capture  the 
family  plate.  Jones  himself  returned  to  the  ship,  resolved  to  purchase 
the  spoils  at  open  sale,  and  return  them  to  their  former  owner. 

The  blue-jackets  continued  their  way  up  the  highway,  and,  turning 
aside  where  a  heavy  gate  opened  into  a  stately  grove,  demanded  of  an 
old  man  who  came,  wondering,  out  of  the  lodge,  that  he  give  them  instant 
admittance.  Then,  swinging  into  a  trot,  they  ran  along  the  winding 
carriage-drive  until  they  came  out  on  the  broad  lawn  that  extended  in 
front  of  the  castle.  Here  for  the  first  time  they  were  seen  by  the  inmates 
of  the  castle;  and  faint  screams  of  fear,  and  shouts  of  astonishment, 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  73 

came  from  the  open  windows  of  the  stately  pile.  The  men-servants  came 
rushing  out  to  discover  who  the  lawless  crowd  that  so  violated  the  sanctity 
of  an  English  earl's  private  park  could  be ;  but  their  curiosity  soon  abated 
when  a  few  stout  blue-jackets,  cutlass  and  pistol  in  hand,  surrounded 
them,  and  bade  them  keep  quiet.  The  lieutenant,  with  two  stout  seamen 
at  his  back,  then  entered  the  castle,  and  sought  out  the  mistress,  who 
received  him  with  calm  courtesy,  with  a  trace  of  scorn,  but  with  no  sign 
of  fear. 

Briefly  the  lieutenant  told  his  errand.  The  countess  gave  an  order  to 
a  butler,  and  soon  a  line  of  stout  footmen  entered,  bearing  the  plate.  Heavy 
salvers  engraved  with  the  family  arms  of  Lord  Selkirk,  quaint  drinking- 
cups  and  flagons  curiously  carved,  ewers,  goblets,  platters,  covers,  dishes, 
teapots,  and  all  kinds  of  table  utensils  were  there,  all  of  exquisitely  artistic 
workmanship,  and  bearing  the  stamp  of  antiquity.  When  all  was  ready, 
the  lieutenant  called  in  two  of  the  sailors  from  the  lawn ;  and  soon  the 
whole  party,  bearing  the  captured  treasure,  disappeared  in  the  curves  of 
the  road. 

This  incident,  simple  enough  in  reality,  the  novelist  Fenimore  Cooper 
has  made  the  germ  of  one  of  his  exquisite  sea-tales,  "The  Pilot."  British 
historians  have  made  of  it  an  example  by  which  to  prove  the  lawlessness 
and  base  ingratitude  of  Paul  Jones.  As  may  readily  be  imagined,  it 
stirred  up  at  the  time  the  most  intense  excitement  in  England.  Jones 
became  the  bugbear  of  timid  people.  His  name  was  used  to  frighten  little 
children.  He  was  called  pirate,  traitor,  free-booter,  plunderer.  It  was 
indeed  a  most  audacious  act  that  he  had  committed.  Never  before  or 
since  had  the  soil  of  England  been  trodden  by  a  hostile  foot.  Never  had 
a  British  peer  been  forced  to  feel  that  his  own  castle  was  not  safe  from  the 
invader.  Jones,  with  his  handful  of  American  tars,  had  accomplished  a 
feat  which  had  never  before  been  accomplished,  and  which  no  later  foeman 
of  England  has  dared  to  repeat.  It  is  little  wonder  that  the  British  papers 
described  him  as  a  bloodthirsty  desperado. 

A  few  weeks  later,  the  captured  plate  was  put  up  for  sale  by  the  prize 
agents.  Capt.  Jones,  though  not  a  rich  man,  bought  it,  and  returned  it  to 
the  countess.  Lord  Selkirk,  in  acknowledging  its  receipt,  wrote,  — 

"  And  on  all  occasions,  both  now  and  formerly,  I  have  done  you  the 
justice  to  tell  that  you  made  an  offer  of  returning  the  plate  very  soon 


74  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

after  your  return  to  Brest ;  and  although  you  yourself  were  not  at  my  house, 
out  remained  at  the  shore  with  your  boat,  that  you  had  your  officers  and 
men  in  such  extraordinary  good  discipline,  that  your  having  given  them 
the  strictest  orders  to  behave  well,  —  to  do  no  injury  of  any  kind,  to  make 
no  search,  but  only  to  bring  off  what  plate  was  given  them,  —  that  in  reality 
they  did  exactly  as  was  ordered ;  and  that  not  one  man  offered  to  stir  from 
his  post  on  the  outside  of  the  house,  nor  entered  the  doors,  nor  said  an 
uncivil  word  ;  that  the  two  officers  stayed  not  one-quarter  of  an  hour  in  the 
parlor  and  in  the  butler's  pantry  while  the  butler  got  the  plate  together, 
behaved  politely,  and  asked  for  nothing  but  the  plate,  and  instantly  marched 
their  men  off  in  regular  order ;  and  that  both  officers  and  men  behaved  in 
all  respects  so  well,  that  it  would  have  done  credit  to  the  best-disciplined 
troops  whatever." 

But  the  British  took  little  notice  of  the  generous  reparation  made  by 
Capt.  Jones,  and  continued  to  hurl  abuse  and  hard  names  at  him. 

Jones  was  vastly  disappointed  at  his  failure  to  capture  the  person  of 
Lord  Selkirk.  The  story  of  the  sufferings  of  his  countrymen  in  British 
prisons  worked  upon  his  heart,  and  he  longed  to  take  captive  a  personage 
whom  he  could  hold  as  hostage.  But,  soon  after  leaving  St.  Mary's  Isle,  he 
fell  in  again  with  the  British  man-of-war  "  Drake ; "  and  as  a  result  of  this 
encounter  he  had  prisoners  enough  to  exchange  for  many  hapless  Americans 
languishing  in  hulks  and  prisons. 

After  the  wind  and  tide  had  defeated  the  midnight  attempt  made  by 
Jones  to  capture  the  "  Drake,"  that  craft  had  remained  quietly  at  her 
anchorage,  little  suspecting  that  the  bay  of  Carrickfergus  had  held  so 
dangerous  a  neighbor.  But  soon  reports  of  the  "  Ranger's  "  depredations 
began  to  reach  the  ears  of  the  British  captain.  The  news  of  the  desperate 
raid  upon  Whitehaven  became  known  to  him.  He  therefore  determined 
to  leave  his  snug  anchorage,  and  go  in  search  of  the  audacious  Yankee. 
Just  as  the  captain  of  the  "  Drake  "  had  reached  this  determination,  and 
while  he  was  making  sail,  the  "  Ranger "  appeared  off  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor. 

The  "Drake"  promptly  sent  out  a  boat  to  examine  the  strange  craft, 
and  report  upon  her  character.  Jones  saw  her  coming,  and  resolved  to 
throw  her  off  the  scent.  Accordingly,  by  skilful  seamanship,  he  kept  the 
stern  of  the  "  Ranger  "  continually  presented  to  the  prying  eyes  in  the 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  75 

British  boat.  Turn  which  way  they  might,  be  as  swift  in  their  manoeuvres 
as  they  might,  the  British  scouts  could  see  nothing  of  the  "  Ranger "  but 
her  stern,  pierced  with  two  cabin  windows,  as  might  be  the  stern  of  any 
merchantman.  Her  sides,  dotted  with  frowning  ports,  were  kept  securely 
hidden  from  their  eyes. 

Though  provided  with  spy-glasses,  the  people  in  the  boat  were  totally 
deceived.  Unsuspectingly  they  came  up  under  the  stern  of  the  "  Ranger/' 
and  demanded  to  come  on  board.  As  the  officer  in  command  clambered 
up  a  rope,  and  vaulted  the  taffrail  to  the  quarter-deck,  he  saw  Paul  Jones 
and  his  lieutenants,  in  full  uniform,  standing  before  him. 

"Why,  —  why,  what  ship's  this  ?  "  stammered  the  astonished  officer. 

"This  is  the  American  Continental  ship  '  Ranger,'  and  you  are  my 
prisoner,"  responded  Jones ;  and  at  the  words  a  few  sailors,  with  cutlasses 
and  pistols,  called  to  the  men  in  the  boat  alongside,  to  come  aboard  and 
give  themselves  up. 

From  his  captives  Jones  learned  that  the  news  of  the  Whitehaven  raid 
had  reached  the  "  Drake  "  only  the  night  before ;  and  that  she  had  been 
re-enforcing  her  crew  with  volunteers,  preparatory  to  going  out  in  search 
of  the  "Ranger."  As  he  stood  talking  to  the  captured  British  naval 
officer,  Jones  noticed  slender  columns  of  smoke  rising  from  the  woods  on 
neighboring  highlands,  where  he  knew  there  were  no  houses. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Alarm  fires,  sir,"  answered  the  captive ;  "  the  news  of  your  descent 
upon  Whitehaven  is  terrifying  the  whole  country." 

Soon,  however,  the  attention  of  the  Americans  was  diverted  from  the 
signal-fires  to  the  "  Drake."  An  appearance  of  life  and  bustle  was 
observable  about  the  boat.  The  shrill  notes  of  the  boatswain's  whistle,  and 
the  tramp  of  men  about  the  capstan,  came  faintly  over  the  waters.  The 
rigging  was  full  of  sailors,  and  the  sails  were  being  quickly  spread  to  catch 
the  fresh  breeze.  Soon  the  ship  began  to  move  slowly  from  her  anchorage  ; 
she  heeled  a  little  to  one  side,  and,  responsive  to  her  helm,  turned  down 
the  bay.  She  was  coming  out  to  look  after  her  lost  boat. 

Jones  determined  to  hold  his  ground,  and  give  battle  to  the  Englishman. 
He  at  once  began  to  prepare  for  battle  in  every  way  possible  without 
alarming  the  enemy.  The  great  guns  were  loaded  and  primed.  Cutlasses 
and  pistols  were  .brought  up  from  the  armorer's  room,  and  placed  in 


76  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

convenient  locations  on  the  main  deck,  so  that  the  boarders  might  find 
them  when  needed.  The  powder-monkeys,  stripped  for  action,  and  the 
handlers  and  cartridge-makers  entered  the  powder-magazine,  and  prepared 
to  hand  out  the  deadly  explosive.  The  cook  and  his  assistant  strewed 
sawdust  and  ashes  about  the  decks,  to  catch  the  blood,  and  keep  the  men 
from  slipping.  Every  one  was  busy,  from  the  captain  down  to  the  galley- 
boy. 

There  was  plenty  of  time  to  prep  re  ;  for  the  tide  was  out,  and  the 
"  Drake,"  beating  down  a  narrow  channel,  made  but  slow  headway. 
The  delay  was  a  severe  strain  upon  the  nerves  of  the  men,  who  stood 
silent  and  grim  at  their  quarters  on  the  American  ship,  waiting  for  the 
fight  to  begin.  At  such  a  moment,  even  the  most  courageous  must  lose 
heart,  as  he  thinks  upon  the  terrible  ordeal  through  wrhich  he  must  pass. 
Visions  of  home  and  loved  ones  flit  before  his  misty  eyes  ;  and  Jack  chokes 
down  a  sob  as  he  hides  his  emotion  in  nervously  fingering  the  lock  of 
his  gun,  or  taking  a  squint  through  the  port-holes  at  the  approaching 
enemy. 

At  length  the  "  Drake "  emerged  from  the  narrow  channel  of  the 
harbor,  and  coming  within  hailing  distance  of  the  "  Ranger,"  ran  up 
the  flag  of  England,  and  hailed,  — 

"What  ship  is  that?" 

Paul  Jones,  himself  standing  on  the  taffrail,  made  answer,  — 

"  This  is  the  American  Continental  ship  *  Ranger.'  We  are  waiting 
for  you.  The  sun  is  but  little  more  than  an  hour  from  setting.  It  is 
therefore  time  to  begin." 

The  "  Drake "  lay  with  her  bow  towards  the  "  Ranger/'  and  a  little 
astern.  As  Jones  finished  speaking,  he  turned  to  the  man  at  the  wheel, 
and  said,  "  Put  your  helm  up.  Up,  I  say !  " 

Quickly  responsive  to  her  helm,  the  vessel  swung  round  ;  and,  as  her 
broadside  came  to  bear,  she  let  fly  a  full  broadside  of  solid  shot  into 
the  crowded  decks  and  hull  of  the  "Drake."  Through  timbers  and 
planks,  flesh  and  bone,  the  iron  hail  rushed,  leaving  death,  wounds,  and 
destruction  in  its  path.  The  volunteers  that  the  "  Drake "  had  added 
to  her  crew  so  crowded  the  decks,  that  the  execution  was  fearful.  It 
seemed  as  though  every  shot  found  a  human  mark. 

But   the  British  were   not   slow   to   return   the   fire,   and   the   roar  of 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  77 

their  broadside  was  heard   before  the   thunder  of   the  American   fire  had 
ceased  to  reverberate  among  the  hills  along  the  shore. 

Then  followed  a  desperate  naval  duel.  The  tide  of  victory  flowed 
now  this  way,  and  now  that.  Jones  kept  his  ship  at  close  quarters  with 
the  enemy,  and  stood  on  the  quarter-deck  urging  on  his  gunners,  now 
pointing  out  some  vulnerable  spot,  now  applauding  a  good  shot,  at  one 
time  cheering,  and  at  another  swearing,  watching  every  movement  of  his 
foe,  and  giving  quick  but  wise  orders  to  his  helmsman,  his  whole  mind 
concentrated  upon  the  course  of  battle,  and  with  never  a  thought  for 
his  own  safety. 

For  more  than  an  hour  the  battle  raged,  but  the  superior  gunnery  of 
the  Americans  soon  began  to  tell.  The  "Drake"  fought  under  no  colors, 
her  ensign  having  been  shot  away  early  in  the  action.  But  the  spirited 
manner  in  which  her  guns  were  worked  gave  assurance  that  she  had 
not  struck.  The  American  fire  had  wrought  great  execution  on  the  deck 
..£  the  Englishman.  Her  captain  was  desperately  wounded  early  in  the 
fight ;  and  the  first  lieutenant,  who  took  his  place,  was  struck  down  by  a 
musket-ball  from  the  "Ranger's"  tops.  The  cock-pit  of  the  "Drake" 
was  like  a  butcher's  shambles,  so  bespattered  was  it  with  blood.  But 
on  the  "Ranger"  there  was  little  execution.  The  brave  Wallingford, 
Jones's  first  lieutenant  and  right-hand  man,  was  killed  early  in  the  action, 
and  one  poor  fellow  accompanied  him  to  his  long  account ;  but  beyond 
this  there  were  no  deaths.  Six  men  only  were  wounded. 

The  sun  was  just  dipping  the  lower  edge  of  its  great  red  circle  beneath 
the  watery  horizon,  when  the  "Drake"  began  to  show  signs  of  failing. 
First  her  fire  slackened.  A  few  guns  would  go  off  at  a  time,  followed 
by  a  long  silence.  That  portion  of  her  masts  which  was  visible  above 
the  clouds  of  gunpowder-smoke  showed  plainly  the  results  of  American 
gunnery.  The  sails  were  shot  to  ribbons.  The  cordage  cut  by  the 
flying  shot  hung  loosely  down,  or  was  blown  out  by  the  breeze.  The  spars 
were  shattered,  and  hung  out  of  place.  The  mainmast  canted  to  leeward, 
and  was  in  imminent  danger  of  falling.  The  jib  had  been  shot  away 
entirely,  and  was  trailing  in  the  water  alongside  the  ship. 

Gradually  the  fire  of  the  "  Drake "  slackened,  until  at  last  it  had 
ceased  altogether.  Noticing  this,  Capt.  Jones  gave  orders  to  cease  firing ; 
and  soon  silence  reigned  over  the  bay  that  had  for  an  hour  resounded 


78  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

with  the  thunder  of  cannon.  As  the  smoke  that  enveloped  the  two  ships 
cleared  away,  the  people  on  the  "  Ranger "  could  see  an  officer  standing 
on  the  rail  of  the  "  Drake  "  waving  a  white  flag.  At  the  sight  a  mighty 
huzza  went  up  from  the  gallant  lads  on  the  Yankee  ship,  which  was, 
however,  quickly  checked  by  Jones. 

"  Have  you  struck  your  flag  ?  "  he  shouted  through  a  speaking-trumpet 

"We  have,  sir,"  was  the  response. 

"Then  lay  by  until  I  send  a  boat  aboard,"  directed  Capt.  Jones  ;  and 
soon  after  a  cutter  put  off  from  the  side  of  the  "  Ranger,"  and  made  for 
the  captured  ship. 

The  boarding-officer  clambered  over  the  bulwarks  of  the  "  Drake," 
and,  veteran  naval  officer  as  he  was,  started  in  amazement  at  the  scene 
of  bloodshed  before  him.  He  had  left  a  ship  on  which  were  two  dead  and 
six  wounded  men.  He  had  come  to  a  ship  on  which  were  forty  men 
either  dead  or  seriously  wounded.  Two  dismounted  cannon  lay  across 
the  deck,  one  resting  on  the  shattered  and  bleeding  fragments  of  a  mar. 
torn  to  pieces  by  a  heavy  shot.  The  deck  was  slippery  with  blood.  The 
cock-pit  was  not  large  enough  to  hold  all  the  wounded ;  and  many  sufferers 
lay  on  the  deck  crying  piteously  for  aid,  and  surrounded  by  the  mangled 
bodies  of  their  dead  comrades.  The  body  of  the  captain,  who  had  died 
of  his  wound,  lay  on  the  deserted  quarter-deck. 

Hastily  the  American  officer  noted  the  condition  of  the  prize,  and 
returned  to  his  own  ship  for  aid.  All  the  boats  of  the  "  Ranger  "  were 
then  lowered,  and  in  the  growing  darkness  the  work  of  taking  possession 
of  the  prize  began.  Most  of  the  prisoners  were  transferred  to  the 
"  Ranger."  The  dead  were  thrown  overboard  without  burial  service  or 
ceremony  of  any  kind,  such  is  the  grim  earnestness  of  war.  Such 
of  the  wounded  as  couM  not  be  taken  care  of  in  the  sick-bay  of  the 
"Drake"  were  transferred  to  the  "Ranger."  The  decks  were  scrubbed, 
holystoned,  and  sprinkled  with  hot  vinegar  to  take  away  the  smell  of 
the  blood-soaked  planks.  Cordage  was  spliced,  sails  mended,  shot-holes 
plugged  up ;  and,  by  the  time  morning  came,  the  two  ships  were  sufficiently 
repaired  to  be  ready  to  leave  the  bay. 

But,  before  leaving,  Capt.  Jones  set  at  liberty  two  fishermen,  whom 
he  had  captured  several  days  before,  and  held  prisoners  lest  they  should 
spread  the  news  of  his  presence  in  those  parts.  While  the  fishermen 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  79 

had  been  taken  on  board  the  "  Ranger,"  and  treated  with  the  utmost 
kindness,  their  boat  had  been  made  fast  alongside.  Unluckily,  however, 
the  stormy  weather  had  torn  the  boat  from  its  fastenings  ;  and  it  foundered 
before  the  eyes  of  its  luckless  owners,  who  bitterly  bewailed  their  hard 
fate  as  they  saw  their  craft  disappear.  But,  when  they  came  to  leave  the 
"  Ranger,"  their  sorrow  was  turned  to  joy  ;  for  Jones  gave  them  money 
enough  to  buy  for  them  a  new  boat  and  outfit,  —  a  bit  of  liberality 
very  characteristic  of  the  man. 

When  the  "  Drake  "  was  in  condition  to  sail,  Jones  put  her  in  command 
of  Lieut.  Simpson,  and  the  two  vessels  left  the  bay.  This  choice  of 
commander  proved  to  be  an  unfortunate  one.'  Simpson  was  in  many 
ways  a  most  eccentric  officer.  He  was  a  violent  advocate  of  equal  rights 
of  all  men,  and  even  went  so  far  as  to  disbelieve  in  the  discipline  without 
which  no  efficiency  can  be  obtained  on  ship-board.  He  was  an  eighteenth- 
century  Sir  Joseph  Porter.  He  believed  that  all  questions  of  importance 
on  ship-board  should  be  settled  by  a  vote  of  the  crew  ;  that  the  captain 
was,  in  a  certain  sense,  only  perpetual  chairman  of  a  meeting,  and  should 
only  execute  the  will  of  the  sailors.  Naturally,  this  view  of  an  officer's 
authority  was  little  relished  by  Lieut.  Simpson's  brother  officers,  and  he 
had  for  some  time  been  greatly  dissatisfied  with  his  position. 

When  it  came  about,  therefore,  that  the  "Ranger,"  seeing  a  strange 
sail  in  the  offing,  left  the  "  Drake "  to  go  in  pursuit  of  the  stranger, 
Lieut.  Simpson  saw  his  chance  to  make  off  with  the  "  Drake,"  and  thus 
rid  himself  of  the  disagreeable  necessity  of  submitting  to  the  orders  of  a 
superior  officer.  This  course  he  determined  to  adopt ;  and  when  Jones, 
having  overtaken  the  stranger  and  found  her  a  neutral,  turned  to  rejoin 
his  prize,  he  was  vastly  astounded  at  the  evolutions  of  the  "Drake."  The 
vessel  which  he  had  left  in  charge  of  one  of  his  trusted  officers  seemed 
to  be  trying  to  elude  him.  She  was  already  hull  down  on  the  horizon, 
and  was  carrying  every  stitch  of  sail.  The  "Ranger"  signalled  to  her 
colleague  to  return,  but  in  vain.  Several  large  ships  were  in  sight ;  but 
Jones,  perplexed  by  the  strange  antics  of  his  consort,  abandoned  all 
thoughts  of  making  captures,  and  made  after  the  rapidly  vanishing 
"Drake." 

As  the  "  Ranger "  cut  through  the  ugly  cross  seas  of  the  channel, 
Jones  revolved  in  his  mind  the  causes  which  might  lead  to  the  inexplicable 


8o  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


flight  of  his  consort  His  chief  fear  was  that  the  prisoners  on  the  " Drake" 
mighv  have  risen,  overpowered  their  captors,  and  were  then  endeavoring 
to  take  the  ship  into  a  British  port.  Convinced  that  this  was  the  true 
explanation  of  the  matter,  Jones  made  tremendous  efforts  to  overhaul  the 
prize  before  the  night  should  give  her  an  opportunity  to  elude  pursuit. 
Every  thing  from  jib-boom  to  main-truck,  that  would  draw,  was  set  on  the 
"Ranger;"  and  the  gallant  little  vessel  ploughed  along  at  a  rate  that  almost 
belied  her  reputation  as  a  slow  craft.  After  an  hour's  run,  it  became 
svident  that  the  "  Ranger "  was  gaining  ground.  Nevertheless,  darkness 
settled  over  the  waters,  and  the  "  Drake  "  was  still  far  in  the  lead.  It  was 
not  until  the  next  day  that  the  runaway  was  overhauled.  Upon  boarding 
the  "Drake,"  Jones  found,  to  his  intense  indignation,  that  not  to  the 
revolt  ol  the  captives,  but  to  the  wilful  and  silly  insubordination  of  Lieut. 
Simpsor,  the  flight  of  the  captured  vessel  was  due.  This  officer,  feeling 
himself  aggrieved  by  something  Jones  had  said  or  done,  had  determined 
to  seize  upon  the  "  Drake,"  repair  her  in  some  French  port,  and  thence 
forward  to  cruise  as  a  privateer.  This  plan  was  nipped  in  the  bud  by 
Jones,  \\  ho  put  the  disobedient  officer  in  irons,  and  carried  the  "  Drake " 
into  Bre  )t  as  a  prize. 

All  Kurope  now  rang  with  the  praises  of  Paul  Jones.  Looked  at  in 
the  calm  light  of  history,  his  achievements  do  not  appear  so  very  remarkable. 
But  it  is  none  the  less  true  that  they  have  never  been  paralleled.  Before 
the  day  of  Paul  Jones,  no  hostile  vessel  had  ever  swept  the  English 
Channel  and  Irish  Sea  clear  of  British  merchantmen.  And  since  the 
day  of  PC  ul  Jones  the  exploit  has  never  been  repeated,  save  by  the  little 
Americar  brig  "Argus"  in  the  War  of  1812.  But  neither  before  nor 
since  the  day  of  Paul  Jones  has  the  spectacle  of  a  British  ship  in  an 
E-nglish  port,  blazing  with  fire  applied  by  the  torches  of  an  enemy,  been 
seen.  And  no  other  man  than  Paul  Jones  has,  for  several  centuries,  led  an 
invading  force  down  the  level  highways,  and  across  the  green  fields,  of 
England. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


THE  CAREER  OF  PAUL  JONES  CONTINUED.  —  HIS 
SEARCH  FOR  A  SHIP.  — GIVEN  COMMAND  OF  THE 
"  BON  HOMME  RICHARD."  —  LANDAIS  AND  HIS 
CHARACTER.— THE  FRUSTRATED  MUTINY.  — LAN- 
DAIS  QUARRELS  WITH  JONES.  — EDINBURGH  AND 
LEITH  THREATENED.  — THE  DOMINIE'S  PRAYER. 


HEN  Paul  Jones  arrived  at  Brest,  bringing  the  captured  Drake, 
he  found  the  situation  of  affairs  materially  altered.  France  had 
acknowledged  the  independence  of  the  American  Colonies,  and 
had  openly  espoused  their  cause  as  against  that  of  Great 
Britain.  It  was  no  longer  necessary  to  resort  to  cunning  deceptions  to 
buy  a  warship  or  sell  a  prize  in  a  French  port.  French  vessels,  manned 
by  French  crews  and  commanded  by  French  officers,  were  putting  to 
sea  to  strike  a  blow  against  the  British.  French  troops  were  being  sent 
to  America.  The  stars  and  stripes  waved  by  the  side  of  the  fleur  de 
lys ;  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  the  American  envoy,  was  the  lion  of  French 
society,  and  the  idol  of  the  Parisian  mob. 

Paul  Jones  saw  in  this  friendship  of  France  for  the  struggling  colonies 
his  opportunity.  Heretofore  he  had  been  condemned  to  command  only 
slow-going,  weak  ships.  He  had  been  hampered  by  a  lack  of  funds 
for  the  payment  of  his  crew  and  the  purchase  of  provisions.  More  than 
once  the  inability  of  the  impoverished  Continental  Congress  to  provide 
the  sinews  of  war  had  forced  him  to  go  down  into  his  own  purse  for 
the  necessary  funds.  All  this  period  of  penury  he  now  felt  was  past. 
He  could  rely  upon  the  king  of  France  for  a  proper  vessel,  and  the 
funds  with  which  to  prosecute  his  work  on  the  seas.  Accordingly,  when 
the  "Ranger"  was  again  ready  for  sea,  he  turned  her  over  to  the 
5  81 


82  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

insubordinate  Lieut.  Simpson,  while  he  himself  remained  in  France  with 
uSe  expectation  of  being  provided  with  a  better  ship. 

But  the  sturdy  seaman  soon  found  how  vexatious  is  the  lot  of  him 
who  depends  upon  the  bounty  of  monarchs.  Ship  after  ship  was  put 
in  commission,  but  no  command  was  tendered  to  the  distinguished 
American.  The  French  naval  officers  had  first  to  be  attended  to.  Jones 
made  earnest  appeals  to  the  minister  of  the  marine.  He  brought  every 
possible  influence  to  bear.  His  claims  were  urged  by  Dr.  Franklin,  but 
all  to  no  avail.  At  last  an  appointment  came.  It  was  to  command  an 
English  prize,  lately  captured  and  brought  into  Brest.  Thither  went 
Jones  to  examine  the  craft.  Much  to  his  disappointment,  he  found  her 
very  slow ;  and  this  determined  him  to  decline  the  commission. 

"I  wish  to  have  no  connection  with  any  ship  that  does  not  sail  fast," 
he  wrote  to  a  gentleman  who  had  secured  for  him  the  appointment ; 
"for  I  intend  to  go  in  harm's  way.  You  know  I  believe  that  this  is 
not  every  one's  intention.  Therefore,  buy  a  frigate  that  sails  fast,  and 
that  is  sufficiently  large  to  carry  twenty-six  or  twenty-eight  guns,  not  less 
than  twelve-pounders,  on  one  deck.  I  would  rather  be  shot  ashore  than 
sent  to  sea  in  such  things  as  the  armed  prizes  I  have  described." 

Five  months  of  waiting  and  ceaseless  solicitation  of  the  authorities 
still  left  the  sailor,  who  had  won  so  many  victories,  stranded  in  shameful 
inactivity.  He  had  shrunk  from  a  personal  interview  with  the  king, 
trusting  rather  to  the  efforts  of  his  friends,  many  of  whom  were  in  high 
favor  at  Versailles.  But  one  day  he  happened  to  light  upon  an  old  copy 
of  "Poor  Richard's  Almanac,"  that  unique  publication  in  which  Benjamin 
Franklin  printed  so  many  wise  maxims  and  witty  sayings.  As  Jones 
listlessly  turned  its  pages,  his  eye  fell  upon  the  maxim,  — 

"  If  you  wish  to  have  any  '  usiness  done  faithfully  and  expeditiously, 
go  and  do  it  yourself.  Otherwise,  send  some  one." 

Shutting  the  book,  and  dashing  it  to  the  floor,  Jones  sprang  to  his 
feet  exclaiming,  "  I  will  go  to  Versailles  this  very  day."  Before  night 
he  set  out,  and  soon  reached  the  royal  court.  His  reputation  easily 
gained  him  an  interview ;  and  his  frank,  self-reliant  way  so  impressed  the 
monarch,  that  in  five  days  the  American  was  tendered  the  command  of 
the  ship  "Daras,"  mounting  forty  guns. 

Great  was  the  exultation  of  the  American  seaman  at  this  happy  termi- 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  83 

nation  of  his  labor.  Full  of  gratitude  to  the  distinguished  philosopher 
whose  advice  had  proved  so  effective,  he  wrote  to  the  minister  of  marine, 
begging  permission  to  change  the  name  of  the  vessel  to  the  "  Poor 
Richard,"  or,  translated  into  French,  the  "Bon  Homme  Richard."  Per 
mission  was  readily  granted;  and  thereafter  the  "Bon  Homme  Richard/' 
with  Paul  Jones  on  the  quarter-deck,  did  valiant  work  for  the  cause  of 
the  young  American  Republic. 

The  "Bon  Homme  Richard"  was  lying  in  the  harbor  of  1'Orient 
when  Jones  visited  her  to  examine  his  new  ship,  He  found  her  a  fairly 
well  modelled  craft,  giving  promise  of  being  a  good  sailer.  She  had  one 
of  the  high  pitched  poops  that  were  so  common  in  the  early  part  of 
the  last  century,  and  that  gave  to  the  sterns  of  ships  of  that  period  the 
appearance  of  lofty  towers.  Originally  she  was  a  single-decked  ship, 
mounting  her  battery  on  one  gun-deck,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
cannon  on  the  quarter-deck  and  forecastle.  The  gun-deck  mounted 
twenty-eight  guns,  all  twelve-pounders.  On  the  quarter-deck  and  fore 
castle  were  eight  long  nines.  To  this  armament  Jones  at  once  added 
six  eighteen-pounders,  which  were  mounted  in  the  gun-room  below. 

To  man  this  vessel,  Jones  was  obliged  to  recruit  a  most  motley  crew. 
Few  American  seamen  were  then  in  France,  and  he  considered  himself 
fortunate  to  find  enough  to  fill  the  stations  of  officers  on  the  quarter 
deck  and  forward.  For  his  crew  proper  he  was  forced  to  accept  an 
undisciplined  crowd  of  Portuguese,  Norwegians,  Germans,  Spaniards, 
Swedes,  Italians,  Malays,  Scotch,  Irish,  and  even  a  few  Englishmen. 
About  a  hundred  and  thirty-five  marines  were  put  aboard  to  keep  order 
among  this  rabble ;  and,  even  with  this  aid  to  discipline,  it  is  wonderful 
that  no  disturbance  ever  broke  out  in  a  crew  that  was  made  up  of  so 
many  discordant  elements. 

While  the  "Bon  Homme  Richard"  was  being  made  ready  for  sea, 
the  vessels  that  were  to  sail  with  her  as  consorts  were  making  for  the 
rendezvous  at  1'Orient.  These  vessels  were  the  "Pallas,"  "Cerf,"  "Ven 
geance,"  and  "Alliance."  The  three  former  were  small  vessels,  built  in 
France,  and  manned  wholly  by  Frenchmen.  The  "Alliance"  was  a 
powerful,  well-built  American  frigate,  carrying  an  American  crew,  but 
commanded  by  a  French  officer,  —  Capt.  Landais.  This  vessel  was  the 
last  to  arrive  at  the  rendezvous,  as  she  had  a  stormy  and  somewhat 
eventful  trip  across  the  ocean. 


84  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


The  "Alliance"  was  a  thirty-two  gun  frigate,  built  under  the  super- 
vision  of  the  American  Marine  Committee,  and  which  had  come  to 
European  waters,  bringing  as  a  passenger  the  distinguished  Gen, 
Lafayette.  As  has  been  stated,  she  was  under  the  command  of  a  French 
naval  officer,  to  whom  the  command  had  been  offered  as  a  compliment  to 
France.  Unfortunately  the  jack  tars  of  America  were  not  so  anxious 
to  compliment  France,  and  looked  with  much  disfavor  upon  the  prospect 
of  serving  under  a  Frenchman.  Capt.  Landais,  therefore,  found  great 
difficulty  in  getting  a  crew  to  man  his  frigate ;  and  when  Lafayette 
reached  Boston,  ready  to  embark  for  France,  the  roster  of  the  ship  in 
which  he  was  to  sail  was  still  painfully  incomplete.  Great  was  the  mortifi 
cation  of  the  American  authorities ;  and  the  government  of  Massachusetts, 
desiring  to  aid  the  distinguished  Frenchman  in  every  way,  offered  to 
complete  by  impressment.  It  is  vastly  to  the  credit  of  Lafayette  that 
he  refused  for  a  moment  to  countenance  a  method  of  recruiting  so 
entirely  in  opposition  to  those  principles  of  liberty  to  which  he  was 
devoted.  But,  though  impressment  was  not  resorted  to,  a  plan  hardly 
less  objectionable  was  adopted.  The  British  man-of-war  "  Somerset  "  had 
been  wrecked  on  the  New  England  coast  some  time  before,  and  many  of  her 
crew  were  then  in  Boston.  These  men  volunteered  to  join  the  crew  of 
the  "Alliance,"  though  by  so  doing  they  knew  that  they  were  likely  to  be 
forced  to  fight  against  their  own  flag  and  countrymen.  But  the  ties  of 
nationality  bear  lightly  upon  sailors,  and  these  men  were  as  ready  to 
fight  under  the  stars  and  stripes  as  under  the  cross  of  St.  George. 

With  a  crew  made  up  of  Americans,  Englishmen,  and  Frenchmen,  the 
"Alliance"  put  to  sea  in  the  early  part  of  January,  1779.  It  was  the  most 
stormy  season  of  the  year  on  the  tempestuous  Atlantic.  But  the  storms 
which  racked  the  good  ship  from  without  were  as  nothing  to  the 
turbulence  within.  In  the  forecastle  were  three  different  elements  of 
discord.  British,  French,  and  Americans  quarrelled  bitterly  among  them 
selves,  and  the  jackies  went  about  their  work  with  a  sullen  air  that 
betokened  trouble  brewing. 

The  officers  suspected  the  impending  trouble,  but  had  little  idea  of  its 
extent.  They  were  living  over  a  volcano  which  was  liable  to  burst  forth 
at  any  moment.  The  Englishmen  in  the  crew,  who  numbered  some  seventy 
-or  eighty,  had  determined  to  mutiny,  and  had  perfected  all  their  plans  for 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  85 

the  uprising.  Their  intention  was  not  only  to  seize  the  ship,  and  take 
her  into  an  English  port,  but  they  proposed  to  wreak  their  hatred  in  the 
bloodiest  form  upon  the  officers.  Capt.  Landais,  as  the  special  object  of 
their  hate,  was  to  be  put  into  an  open  boat  without  food,  water,  oars,  or 
sails.  Heavy  irons  were  to  bind  his  wrists  and  ankles,  and  he  was  to  be 
set  adrift  to  starve  on  the  open  ocean.  The  fate  of  the  surgeon  and  marine 
officer  was  to  be  equally  hard.  They  were  to  be  hanged  and  quartered,  and 
their  bodies  cast  into  the  sea.  The  sailing-master  was  to  be  seized  up  to 
the  mizzen-mast,  stripped  to  the  waist,  and  his  back  cut  to  pieces  with  the 
cat-of -nine-tails  ;  after  which  he  was  to  be  slowly  hacked  to  pieces  with 
cutlasses,  and  thrown  into  the  sea.  The  gunner,  carpenter,  and  boatswain 
were  to  be  mercifully  treated.  No  torture  was  prepared  for  them,  but  they 
were  to  be  promptly  put  to  death.  As  to  the  lieutenants,  they  were  to  be 
given  the  choice  between  navigating  the  ship  to  the  nearest  British  port, 
or  walking  the  plank. 

This  sanguinary  programme  the  mutineers  discussed  day  and  night. 
The  ringleaders  were  in  the  same  watch,  and  in  the  silent  hours  of  the 
night  matured  their  plans,  and  picked  out  men  whom  they  thought  would 
join  them.  One  by  one  they  cautiously  chose  their  associates.  The  sailor 
whom  the  mutineers  thought  was  a  safe  man  would  be  led  quietly  apart 
from  his  fellows  to  some  secluded  nook  on  the  gun-deck ;  and  there,  with 
many  pledges  to  secrecy,  the  plot  would  be  revealed,  and  his  assistance 
asked.  Or  perhaps  of  two  men  out  on  the  end  of  a  tossing  yard-arm, 
far  above  the  raging  waters,  one  would  be  a  mutineer,  and  would  take  that 
opportunity  to  try  to  win  his  fellow  sailor  to  the  cause.  So  the  mutiny 
spread  apace ;  and  the  volcano  was  almost  ready  to  burst  forth,  when  all 
was  discovered,  and  the  plans  of  the  mutineers  were  happily  defeated. 

The  conspirators  had  succeeded  in  gaining  the  support  of  all  the  English 
men  in  the  crew,  as  well  as  many  of  the  sailors  of  other  nationalities.  So 
numerous  were  their  adherents,  that  they  were  well  able  to  capture  the 
ship  ;  but  before  so  doing  they  sought  to  gain  one  more  recruit.  This 
man  was  an  American  sailor,  who  had  lived  long  in  Ireland,  and  spoke 
with  a  slight  brogue,  that  led  the  conspirators  to  think  him  a  subject  of 
the  king,  and  an  enemy  to  the  revolted  colonies.  This  man  was  known 
to  have  some  knowledge  of  navigation,  and  the  mutineers  felt  that  his 
assistance  would  be  essential  to  the  success  of  their  plot.  Though  they 


86  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

had  planned  to  force  the  lieutenant,  under  penalty  of  death,  to  navigate 
the  vessel  into  a  British  port,  they  had  no  means  of  telling  whether  the 
lieutenant  should  play  them  false.  It  would  be  an  easy  matter  for 
an  officer  to  take  the  ship  into  a  French  port,  where  the  lives  of  the 
conspirators  should  pay  the  penalty  of  their  misdeeds.  Accordingly,  it 
was  highly  important  for  them  to  number  among  them  some  one  versed 
in  the  science  of  navigation  ;  and,  with  this  end  in  view,  they  turned  to 
the  young  Irish-American. 

The  young  seaman  proved  to  be  possessed  of  the  loyalty  and 
shrewdness  of  the  Yankee,  together  with  a  touch  of  the  blarney  of  the 
genuine  Irishman.  He  listened  to  the  complaints  of  the  mutineers, 
sympathized  with  their  grievances,  entered  heartily  into  their  plans,  and 
by  his  apparent  interest  in  the  conspiracy  soon  became  looked  upon  as 
one  of  the  chief  ringleaders. 

tie  learned  that  the  plan  of  the  conspirators  was  to  assemble  on 
deck  about  daylight  on  a  certain  day  when  one  of  the  conspirators 
should  be  posted  in  the  tops  as  lookout.  This  man  was  to  raise  the  cry 
of  "  Sail,  ho  ! "  when  the  officers  and  passengers  would  of  course  come 
to  the  quarter-deck  unarmed.  The  mutineers  would  commence  operations 
by  seizing  them  in  a  body.  Then,  separating  into  four  parties,  the 
conspirators  would  seize  upon  the  ship.  On  the  forecastle  were  mounted 
four  nine-pound  guns.  These  were  usually  kept  charged  with  blank 
cartridge  only  ;  but  a  gunner's  mate,  who  was  one  of  the  ringleaders,  had 
quietly  slipped  a  charge  of  canister  into  each  gun.  Should  the  officers 
show  signs  of  resistance,  these  cannon  were  to  be  trained  aft,  and  the 
quarter-deck  swept  by  their  discharge.  Discipline  on  a  man-of-war 
requires  that  the  crew  should  be  kept  disarmed,  except  in  time  of  battle ; 
the  cutlasses,  pikes,  and  pistols  being  given  over  to  the  armorer.  But  a 
sergeant  of  marines  had  done  the  cause  of  the  mutineers  good  service, 
by  purloining  some  muskets,  and  handing  them  over  to  the  ringleaders. 

Having  thus  gained  full  knowledge  of  the  plans  of  the  mutineers, 
the  loyal  seaman  sought  the  first  opportunity  to  warn  the  officers  of  the 
ship.  But  not  until  three  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  before  the  day  set 
for  the  mutiny  could  he  manage  to  slip  into  the  captain's  cabin  unseen 
by  the  conspirators.  Landais  and  Lafayette  were  seated  there  talking. 

"Well,  what's  wanted  now?"  asked  the  captain  in  the  peremptory 
tone  officers  assume  in  speaking  to  a  sailor. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  87 

The  intruder  stammered  and  looked  confused,  but  finally  managed  to 
tell  the  story.  Landais  was  amazed.  That  so  dangerous  a  conspiracy 
should  have  been  nurtured  in  his  crew,  astonished  him  beyond  expression. 
But  he  wasted  no  time  in  vain  conjectures.  Quietly  the  word  wa* 
passed  to  the  officers  and  passengers  to  assemble  in  the  captain's  cabir* 
Some  trusty  petty  officers  were  given  arms  to  distribute  among  the 
American  and  French  seamen  who  had  not  been  infected  with  the 
fever  of  mutiny.  At  a  given  signal  the  officers  and  passengers  rushed 
to  the  quarter-deck.  The  American  and  French  seamen  joined  them  ; 
and  the  conspirators  suddenly  found  themselves  confronted  by  an  angry 
body  of  determined  men,  fully  armed. 

The  leading  mutineers  were  pointed  out  by  the  informer,  instantly 
seized,  and  hurried  below  in  irons.  Then  the  work  of  arresting  the 
other  conspirators  began,  and  was  continued  until  about  forty  of  the 
English  were  in  irons.  While  the  work  was  progressing,  a  square- 
rigged  ship  hove  in  sight,  and  was  soon  made  out  to  be  one  of  the 
enemy's  twenty-gun  ships.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  the  "Alliance" 
would  have  sought  to  give  battle  to  the  enemy ;  but  in  the  present 
instance,  with  mutiny  rife  among  his  crew,  Capt.  Landais  thought  it  his 
wisest  course  to  avoid  the  stranger.  A  few  days  later,  the  " Alliance" 
arrived  at  Brest,  where  the  mutineers  were  thrown  into  jail,  and  kept 
in  close  confinement,  until  exchanged  for  American  prisoners  in  the 
hands  of  the  British. 

But  to  return  to  Paul  Jones,  whom  we  left  with  the  "  Bon  Homme 
Richard"  lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  1'Orient  waiting  for  the 
arrival  of  his  allies.  On  the  iQth  of  June,  1779,  all  were  ready  to  sail, 
and  left  the  harbor  with  a  few  coasters  and  transports  under  convoy. 
The  "  Bon  Homme  Richard "  was  the  largest  vessel  of  the  little  fleet ; 
next  came  the  "Alliance,"  under  command  of  Capt.  Landais;  then  the 
"  Pallas,"  an  old  merchantman  hastily  remodelled,  and  mounting  thirty- 
two  guns;  then  the  "Cerf"  with  eighteen  guns,  and  the  "Vengeance" 
with  twelve.  Though  not  a  very  formidable  armada,  this  little  fleet  might 
have  done  great  good  to  the  American  cause,  had  Paul  Jones  been  given 
proper  authority,  and  had  his  daring  plans  been  countenanced  by  the 
French  authorities.  But,  though  nominally  commander-in-chief,  Jones 
soon  found  that  he  had  no  means  of  enforcing  his  authority.  He  found 


88  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

that  the  three  Frenchmen  in  command  of  the  other  vessels  of  the 
squadron  looked  upon  him  as  a  partner  in  the  enterprise,  rather  than  as  a 
Jeader  with  absolute  authority.  They  paid  no  heed  to  the  signals  set  at 
the  fore  of  the  flagship.  They  wilfully  disobeyed  orders.  Worse  than 
all,  they  proved  to  be  poor  seamen ;  and  the  squadron  had  hardly  got  into 
blue  water  before  the  " Alliance"  was  run  foul  of  the  "Richard,"  losing 
her  own  mizzen-mast,  and  tearing  away  the  head  and  bowsprit  of  the  flag 
ship.  Thus,  after  long  months  of  preparation  for  sea,  Jones  found  himself 
forced  to  return  to  port  to  refit.  It  has  been  charged  that  this  accident 
was  not  altogether  accidental,  so  far  as  the  "Alliance"  was  concerned. 
Landais,  the  commander  of  that  vessel,  hated  Jones,  and  was  insanely 
jealous  of  the  man  who  outranked  him.  The  collision  was  only  the 
first  of  a  series  of  mishaps,  all  of  which  Landais  ascribed  to  accident,  but 
which  unprejudiced  readers  must  confess  seem  to  have  been  inspired  by 
malice  or  the  results  of  gross  incompetence. 

A  few  days  sufficed  to  repair  all  damage,  and  again  the  vessels  sought 
the  open  sea.  When  two  days  out,  a  strange  sail  was  sighted.  Jones 
crowded  all  sail  on  the  "  Richard,"  and  set  out  in  hot  pursuit,  but  found, 
to  his  bitter  disappointment,  that  his  ship  was  a  wretchedly  slow  sailer. 
Therefore,  signalling  to  the  swift-sailing  "Cerf"  to  follow  the  stranger, 
he  abandoned  the  chase  to  the  smaller  craft.  All  night  long  the  cutter 
followed  in  the  wake  of  the  stranger,  and  when  day  broke  the  two  vessels 
were  near  enough  to  each  other  to  readily  make  out  each  other's  character. 
The  stranger  proved  to  be  a  small  English  cruiser  of  fourteen  guns.  Her 
captain  was  no  poltroon  ;  for  as  soon  as  he  discovered  that  the  ship  from 
which  he  had  been  trying  to  escape  was  but  little  larger  than  his  own,  he 
came  about,  and,  running  down  upon  the  "  Cerf,"  opened  fire.  The  action 
was  a  sharp  one.  The  two  vessels  were  fairly  matched  and  well  fought. 
The  thunder  of  their  broadsides  resounded  far  and  wide  over  the 
ocean.  For  an  hour  they  grappled  in  deadly  strife.  The  tide  of  battle 
turned  now  to  one  side,  and  now  to  the  other.  But  at  last  the  superior 
metal  of  the  "Cerf  "  won  for  her  the  victory.  With  her  battered  prize  in 
tow,  she  sought  to  rejoin  the  squadron,  but  unluckily  fell  in  with  a  British 
frigate  that  had  been  attracted  by  the  sound  of  the  cannonading.  It  was 
useless  to  think  of  saving  the  prize  :  so  the  "  Cerf "  abandoned  it,  and 
after  a  hard  chase  escaped,  and  put  into  the  harbor  of  1'Orient. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  89 

In  the  mean  time,  the  squadron  had  become  separated;  and,  after  a 
fortnight's  fruitless  cruising,  all  the  vessels  returned  to  1'Orient.  Here 
they  lay  until  the  middle  of  August.  More  than  three  months  had  passed 
since  Jones  had  been  given  command  of  the  "Richard."  Most  of  the 
time  had  been  spent  in  port.  The  little  cruising  that  had  been  done  had 
been  unproductive  of  results.  Dissension  and  jealousy  made  the  squadron 
absolutely  ineffective.  As  for  the  "Bon  Homme  Richard,"  she  had 
proved  a  failure;  being  unable  to  overhaul  the  enemy  that  she  wished  to 
engage,  or  escape  from  the  man-of-war  she  might  wish  to  avoid.  Jones 
saw  his  reputation  fast  slipping  away  from  him.  Bitterly  he  bewailed  the 
fate  that  had  put  him  at  the  mercy  of  a  lot  of  quarrelsome  Frenchmen. 
He  determined  that  when  once  again  he  got  to  sea  he  would  ignore  his 
consorts,  and  fight  the  battles  of  his  country  with  his  own  ship  only. 

It  was  on  the  I4th  of  August  that  the  squadron  weighed  anchor,  and 
left  the  harbor  of  1'Orient.  The  "  Richard "  was  greatly  strengthened 
by  the  addition  to  her  crew  of  about  one  hundred  American  seamen, 
who  had  been  sent  to  France  from  England  in  exchange  for  a  number 
of  English  prisoners.  With  her  sailed  the  same  vessels  that  had  previ 
ously  made  up  the  squadron,  together  with  two  French  privateers,  —  the 
"Monsieur"  and  the  "Granville."  Four  days  after  sailing,  a  large  French 
ship  in  charge  of  a  British  prize-crew  was  sighted.  The  whole  squadron 
gave  chase ;  and  the  "  Monsieur,"  being  the  swiftest  sailer  of  the  fleet, 
recaptured  the  prize.  Then  arose  a  quarrel.  The  privateersmen  claimed 
that  the  prize  was  theirs  alone.  They  had  captured  it,  and  the  regular 
naval  officers  had  no  authority  over  them.  To  this  Capt.  Jones  vigorously 
demurred,  and,  taking  the  prize  from  its  captors,  sent  it  to  1'Orient  to  be 
disposed  of  in  accordance  with  the  laws.  In  high  dudgeon,  the  privateers 
vowed  vengeance,  and  that  night  the  "Monsieur"  left  the  squadron. 
She  was  a  fine,  fast  vessel,  mounting  forty  guns ;  and  her  departure 
greatly  weakened  the  fleet. 

A  few  days  later  a  second  serious  loss  was  encountered.  The  fleet 
was  lying  off  Cape  Clear,  only  a  few  miles  from  the  shore.  The  day 
was  perfectly  calm.  Not  a  breath  of  wind  ruffled  the  calm  surface  of 
the  water.  The  sails  flapped  idly  against  the  mast.  The  sailors  lay 
about  the  decks,  trying  to  keep  cool,  and  lazily  watching  the  distant 
shore.  Far  off  in  the  distance  a  white  sail  glimmered  on  the  horizon. 


90  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

It  showed  no  sign  of  motion,  and  was  clearly  becalmed.  After  some 
deliberation,  Capt.  Jones  determined  to  attempt  to  capture  the  stranger 
by  means  of  boats.  The  two  largest  boats,  manned  with  crews  of  picked 
men,  were  sent  out  to  hail  the  vessel,  and,  if  she  proved  to  be  an  enemy, 
to  capture  her.  In  this  they  were  successful,  and  returned  next  day, 
bringing  the  captured  craft. 

But,  while  the  two  boats  were  still  out  after  the  enemy's  ship,  the  tide 
changed  ;  and  Capt.  Jones  soon  saw  that  his  ship  was  in  danger  from  a 
powerful  current,  that  seemed  to  be  sweeping  her  on  shore.  A  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  ship,  two  dangerous  reefs,  known  as  the  Skallocks  and 
the  Blasketts,  reared  their  black  heads  above  the  calm  surface  of  the  sea. 
Toward  these  rocks  the  "Bon  Homme  Richard"  was  drifting,  when 
Jones,  seeing  the  danger,  ordered  out  two  boats  to  tow  the  ship  to  a  less 
perilous  position.  As  the  best  men  of  the  crew  had  been  sent  away  to 
capture  the  brig,  the  crews  of  the  two  boats  were  made  up  of  the  riff-raff 
of  the  crew.  Many  of  them  were  Englishmen,  mere  mercenary  sailors, 
who  had  shipped  on  the  Richard,  secretly  intending  to  desert  at  the  first 
opportunity.  Therefore,  when  night  fell,  as  they  were  still  in  the  boats 
trying  to  pull  the  "  Richard's  "  head  around,  they  cut  the  ropes  and  made 
off  for  the  shore. 

The  desertion  was  discovered  immediately.  The  night  was  clear,  and 
by  the  faint  light  of  the  stars  the  course  of  the  receding  boats  could  be 
traced.  The  sailing-master  of  the  "  Richard,"  a  Mr.  Trent,  being  the  first 
to  discover  the  treachery,  sprang  into  a  boat  with  a  few  armed  men,  and 
set  out  in  hot  pursuit.  The  bow -gun  of  the  "Richard"  was  hastily 
trained  on  the  deserters,  and  a  few  cannon-shot  sent  after  them ;  but 
without  effect.  Before  the  pursuing  boat  could  overhaul  the  fugitives,  a 
dense  bank  of  gray  fog  settled  over  the  water,  and  pursued  and  pursuers 
were  hidden  from  each  other  and  from  the  gaze  of  those  on  the  man-cf-war. 
All  night  long  the  fog,  like  a  moist,  impenetrable  curtain,  rested  on  the 
ocean.  The  next  day  the  "  Cerf "  set  out  to  find  the  missing  boats.  As 
she  neared  the  shore,  to  avoid  raising  an  alarm,  she  hoisted  British  colors. 
Hardly  had  she  done  so  when  she  was  seen  by  Trent  and  his  companions. 
The  fog  made  the  outlines  of  the  cutter  indistinct,  and  magnified  her  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Americans,  so  that  they  mistook  her  for  an  English 
man-of-war.  To  avoid  what  they  thought  would  lead  to  certain  capture 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76.  91 

on  the  water,  they  ran  their  boat  ashore,  and  speedily  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  British  coast  guard.  They  were  at  once  thrown  into  prison,  where 
the  unfortunate  Trent  soon  died.  The  rest  of  the  party  were  exchanged 
later  in  the  war. 

The  loss  of  the  boats,  and  capture  of  Mr.  Trent  and  his  followers,  were 
not  the  only  unfortunate  results  of  this  incident;  for  the  "Cerf"  became 
lost  in  the  fog,  and  before  she  could  rejoin  the  fleet  a  violent  gale  sprang 
up,  and  she  was  carried  back  to  the  coast  of  France.  She  never  again 
returned  to  join  the  fleet,  and  Jones  found  his  force  again  depleted. 

But  the  effective  force  of  the  squadron  under  the  command  of  Paul 
Jones  was  weakened  far  more  by  the  eccentric  and  mutinous  actions  of 
Capt.  Landais  of  the  "Alliance"  than  by  any  losses  by  desertion  or 
capture.  When  the  news  of  the  loss  of  two  boats  by  desertion  reached  the 
"  Alliance,"  Landais  straightway  went  to  the  "  Richard,"  and  entering 
the  cabin  began  to  upbraid  Jones  in  unmeasured  terms  for  having  lost 
two  boats  through  his  folly  in  sending  boats  to  capture  a  brig. 

"  It  is  not  true,  Capt.  Landais,"  answered  Jones,  "  that  the  boats 
which  are  lost  are  the  two  which  were  sent  to  capture  the  brig." 

"  Do  you  tell  me  I  lie  ? "  screamed  the  Frenchman,  white  with  anger. 
His  officers  strove  to  pacify  him,  but  without  avail;  and  he  left  the 
"  Richard "  vowing  that  he  would  challenge  Capt.  Jones,  and  kill  him. 
Shortly  thereafter  the  " Richard"  captured  a  very  valuable  prize, — a  ship 
mounting  twenty-two  guns,  and  loaded  with  sails,  rigging,  anchors,  cables, 
and  other  essential  articles  for  the  navy  Great  Britain  was  building  on 
the  Lakes.  By  desertion  and  other  causes,  the  crew  of  the  "Richard" 
was  greatly  depleted,  and  not  enough  men  could  be  spared  to  man  the  prize. 
Jones  applied  to  Landais  for  aid.  In  response  the  Frenchman  said,  — 

"  If  it  is  your  wish  that  I  should  take  charge  of  the  prize,  I  shall  not 
allow  any  boat  or  any  individual  from  the  'Bon  Homme  Richard'  to  go 
near  her." 

To  this  absurd  stipulation  Jones  agreed.  Landais,  having  thus  assumed 
complete  charge  of  the  prize,  showed  his  incompetence  by  sending  her, 
together  with  a  prize  taken  by  the  "Alliance,"  to  Bergen  in  Norway, 
The  Danish  Government,  being  on  friendly  terms  with  England,  immedi 
ately  surrendered  the  vessels  to  the  British  ambassador ;  and  the  cause  of 
the  young  republic  was  cheated  of  more  than  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars  through  the  insane  negligence  of  the  French  captain. 


92  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

Ever  thereafter,  Landais  manifested  the  most  insolent  indifference  to  the 
orders  of  Capt.  Jones,  to  whom,  as  his  superior  officer,  he  should  render 
implicit  obedience.  He  came  and  went  as  he  saw  fit.  The  "  Alliance " 
would  disappear  from  the  squadron,  and  return  again  after  two  or  three 
days'  absence,  without  apology  or  explanation.  Jones  soon  learned  to  look 
with  indifference  upon  the  antics  of  his  consort,  and  considered  his  squadron 
as  composed  of  the  "Richard,"  "Vengeance,"  and  "Pallas"  only. 

On  the  1 5th  of  September,  the  three  vessels  lay  off  the  port  of  Leith. 
a  thriving  city,  which  was  then,  as  now,  the  seaport  for  the  greater 
city  of  Edinburgh,  which  stands  a  little  farther  inland.  Jones  had  come 
to  this  point  cherishing  one  of  those  daring  plans  of  which  his  mind 
was  so  fertile.  He  had  learned  that  the  harbor  was  full  of  shipping, 
and  defended  only  by  a  single  armed  vessel  of  twenty  guns.  Shore 
batteries  there  were  none.  The  people  of  the  town  were  resting  in 
fancied  security,  and  had  no  idea  that  the  dreaded  Paul  Jones  was  at 
their  very  harbor's  mouth.  It  would  have  been  an  easy  matter  for  the 
three  cruisers  to  make  a  dash  into  the  harbor,  take  some  distinguished 
prisoners,  demand  a  huge  ransom,  fire  the  shipping,  and  escape  again 
to  the  open  sea.  Had  Jones  been  in  reality,  as  he  was  in  name,  the 
commander  of  the  little  fleet,  the  exploit  would  have  been  performed. 
But  the  lack  of  authority  which  had  hampered  him  throughout  his 
cruise  paralyzed  him  here.  By  the  time  he  had  overcome  the  timid 
objections  of  the  captains  of  the  "Vengeance"  and  the  "Pallas,"  all 
Leith  was  aroused.  Still  Jones  persevered.  His  arrangements  were 
carefully  perfected.  Troops  were  to  be  landed  under  command  of  Lieut- 
Col.  Chamillard,  who  was  to  lay  before  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  town 
the  following  letter,  written  by  Jones  himself  :  — 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  distress  the  poor  inhabitants.  My  intention  is 
only  to  demand  your  contribution  toward  the  reimbursement  which 
Britain  owes  to  the  much  injured  citizens  of  America.  Savages  would 
blush  at  the  unmanly  violation  and  rapacity  that  have  marked  the  tracks 
of  British  tyranny  in  America,  from  which  neither  virgin  innocence  nor 
helpless  age  has  been  a  plea  of  protection  or  pity. 

"  Leith  and  its  port  now  lay  at  our  mercy.  And  did  not  the  plea  of 
humanity  stay  the  just  hand  of  retaliation,  I  should  without  advertisement 
lay  it  in  ashes.  Before  I  proceed  to  that  stern  duty  as  an  officer,  my 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  93 

duty  as  a  man  induces  me  to  propose  to  you,  by  means  of  a  reasonable 
ransom,  to  prevent  such  a  scene  of  horror  and  distress.  For  this  reason, 
I  have  authorized  Lieut.-Col.  de  Chamillard  to  agree  with  you  on  the 
terms  of  ransom,  allowing  you  exactly  half  an  hour's  reflection  before 
you  finally  accept  or  reject  the  terms  which  he  shall  propose," 

The  landing  parties  having  been  chosen,  the  order  of  attack  mapped 
out,  and  part  to  be  taken  by  each  boat's-crew  accurately  defined,  the 
three  vessels  advanced  to  the  attack.  It  was  a  bright  Sunday 
morning.  A  light  breeze  blowing  on  shore  wafted  the  three  vessels 
gently  along  the  smooth  surface  of  the  bay.  It  is  said  that  as  the 
invaders  passed  the  little  town  of  Kirkaldy,  the  people  were  at  church, 
but,  seeing  the  three  men-of-war  passing,  deserted  the  sacred  edifice  for 
the  beach,  where  the  gray-haired  pastor,  surrounded  by  his  flock,  offered 
the  following  remarkable  appeal  to  the  Deity  :  — 

"'Now,  dear  Lord,  dinna  ye  think  it  a  shame  for  ye  to  send  this 
vile  pirate  to  rob  our  folk  o'  Kirkaldy  ?  Ye  ken  that  they  are  puir 
enow  already,  and  hae  naething  to  spare.  The  way  the  wind  blaws, 
he'll  be  here  in  a  jiffy.  And  wha  kens  what  he  may  do  ?  He's  nae  too 
good  for  ony  thing.  Mickles  the  mischief  he  has  done  already.  He'll 
burn  their  hooses,  take  their  very  claes,  and  strip  them  to  the  very 
sark.  And  waes  me,  wha  kens  but  that  the  bluidy  villain  might  tak' 
their  lives !  The  puir  weemin  are  most  frightened  out  of  their  wits,  and 
the  bairns  screeching  after  them.  I  canna  think  of  it  !  I  canna  think 
of  it! 

"  I  hae  long  been  a  faithful  servant  to  ye,  O  Lord.  But  gin  ye  dinna 
turn  the  wind  about,  and  blaw  the  scoundrel  out  of  our  gate,  I'll  nae  stir 
a  foot,  but  will  just  sit  here  till  the  tide  comes.  Sae  tak'  your  will  o't." 

Never  was  prayer  more  promptly  answered.  Hardly  had  the  pastor 
concluded  his  prayer,  when  the  wind  veered  round,  and  soon  a  violent 
gale  was  blowing  off  shore.  In  the  teeth  of  the  wind,  the  ships  could 
make  no  headway.  The  gale  increased  in  violence  until  it  rivalled  in 
fierceness  a  tornado.  The  sea  was  lashed  into  fury,  and  great  waves 
arose,  on  the  crests  of  which  the  men-of-war  were  tossed  about  like 
fragile  shells.  The  coal-ship  which  had  been  captured  was  so  racked  and 
torn  by  the  heavy  seas,  that  her  seams  opened,  and  she  foundered  so 
speedily,  that  only  by  the  most  active  efforts  was  her  crew  saved 


94  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

After  several  hours'  ineffectual  battling  with  the  gale,  the  ships  were 
forced  to  come  about  and  run  out  to  sea ;  and  Jones  suffered  the 
mortification  of  witnessing  the  failure  of  his  enterprise,  after  having  been 
within  gunshot  of  the  town  that  he  had  hoped  to  capture.  As  for  the 
good  people  of  Kirkaldy,  they  were  convinced  that  their  escape  from 
the  daring  seamen  was  wholly  due  to  the  personal  influence  of  their  pastor 
with  the  Deity ;  and  the  worthy  parson  lived  long  afterward,  ever  held  in 
the  most  mighty  veneration  by  the  people  of  his  flock. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

CAREER  OF  PAUL  JONES  CONCLUDED.  —  THE 
BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  "  BON  HOMME  RICH 
ARD"  AND  THE  "SERAPIS."  —  TREACHERY  OF 
LANDAIS.  —  JONES'S  GREAT  VICTORY.  —  LAN- 
DAIS  STEALS  THE  "  ALLIANCE."  —  JONES  IN 
COMMAND  OF  THE  "ARIEL."  — THE  "ARIEL" 
IN  THE  STORM. -ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA. 


FTER  this  adventure,  the  three  vessels  continued  their  cruise 
along  the  eastern  coast  of  Scotland.  Continued  good  fortune,  in 
the  way  of  prizes,  rather  soothed  the  somewhat  chafed  feelings 
of  Capt.  Jones,  and  he  soon  recovered  from  the  severe  disap 
pointment  caused  by  the  failure  of  his  attack  upon  Leith.  He  found 
good  reason  to  believe  that  the  report  of  his  exploits  had  spread  far  and 
wide  in  England,  and  that  British  sea-captains  were  using  every  precaution 
to  avoid  encountering  him.  British  vessels  manifested  an  extreme  disincli 
nation  to  come  within  hailing  distance  of  any  of  the  cruisers,  although 
all  three  were  so  disguised  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  make  out  their 
warlike  character.  One  fleet  of  merchantmen  that  caught  sight  of  the 
"  Bon  Homme  Richard "  and  the  "  Pallas "  ran  into  the  River  Humber, 
to  the  mouth  of  which  they  were  pursued  by  the  two  men-of-war. 
Lying  at  anchor  outside  the  bar,  Jones  made  signal  for  a  pilot,  keeping 
the  British  flag  flying  at  his  peak.  Two  pilot-boats  came  out ;  and  Jones, 
assuming  the  character  of  a  British  naval  officer,  learned  from  them,  that, 
besides  the  merchantmen  lying  at  anchor  in  the  river,  a  British  frigate 
lay  there  waiting  to  convoy  a  fleet  of  merchantmen  to  the  north. 
Jones  tried  to  lure  the  frigate  out  with  a  signal  that  the  pilots  revealed  to 
him  ;  but,  though  she  weighed  anchor,  she  was  driven  back  by  strong  head 
winds  that  were  blowing.  Disappointed  in  this  plan,  Jones  continued  his 

95 


96  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

cruise.  Soon  after  he  fell  in  with  the  "Alliance"  and  the  "Vengeance;'* 
and,  while  off  Flamborough  Head,  the  little  squadron  encountered  a  fleet 
of  forty-one  merchant  ships,  that,  at  the  sight  of  the  dreaded  Yankee 
cruisers,  crowded  together  like  a  flock  of  frightened  pigeons,  and  made 
all  sail  for  the  shore;  while  two  stately  men-of-war  —  the  "  Serapis,  forty- 
four,"  and  the  "Countess  of  Scarborough,  twenty-two"  —  moved  forward 
to  give  battle  to  the  Americans. 

Jones  now  stood  upon  the  threshold  of  his  greatest  victory.  His 
bold  and  chivalric  mind  had  longed  for  battle,  and  recoiled  from  the  less 
glorious  pursuit  of  burning  helpless  merchantmen,  and  terrorizing  small 
towns  and  villages.  He  now  saw  before  him  a  chance  to  meet  the 
enemy  in  a  fair  fight,  muzzle  to  muzzle,  and  with  no  overpowering  odds 
on  either  side.  Although  the  Americans  had  six  vessels  to  the  English 
men's  two,  the  odds  were  in  no  wise  in  their  favor.  Two  of  the  vessels 
were  pilot-boats,  which,  of  course,  kept  out  of  the  battle.  The  "Ven 
geance,"  though  ordered  to  render  the  larger  vessels  any  possible 
assistance,  kept  out  of  the  fight  altogether,  and  even  neglected  to  make 
any  attempt  to  overhaul  the  flying  band  of  merchantmen.  As  for  the 
"Alliance,"  under  the  erratic  Landais,  she  only  entered  the  conflict  at 
the  last  moment ;  and  then  her  broadsides,  instead  of  being  delivered 
into  the  enemy,  crashed  through  the  already  shattered  sides  of  the  "Bon 
Homme  Richard."  Thus  the  actual  combatants  were  the  "Richard"  with 
forty  guns,  against  the  "Serapis"  with  forty-four;  and  the  "Pallas" 
with  twenty-two  guns,  against  the  "  Countess  of  Scarborough "  with 
twenty-two. 

It  was  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  a  clear  September  day — * 
the  twenty-third  —  that  the  hostile  vessels  bore  down  upon  each  other, 
making  rapid  preparations  for  the  impending  battle.  The  sea  was  fast 
turning  gray,  as  the  deepening  twilight  robbed  the  sky  of  its  azure  hue. 
A  brisk  breeze  was  blowing,  that  filled  out  the  bellying  sails  of  the  ships, 
and  beat  the  waters  into  little  waves  capped  with  snowy  foam.  In  the  west 
the  rosy  tints  of  the  autumnal  sunset  were  still  warm  in  the  sky.  Nature 
was  in  one  of  her  most  smiling  moods,  as  these  men  with  set  faces,  and 
fcarts  throbbing  with  the  mingled  emotions  of  fear  and  excitement,  stood 
silent  at  their  guns,  or  worked  busily  at  the  ropes  of  the  great  war-ships. 

As  soon  as  he  became  convinced  of  the  character  of  the  two  English 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76.  97 

ships,  Jones  beat  his  crew  to  quarters,  and  signalled  his  consorts  to  form 
in  line  of  battle.  The  people  on  the  "  Richard  "  went  cheerfully  to  then 
guns ;  and  though  the  ship  was  extremely  short-handed,  and  crowded  with 
prisoners,  no  voice  was  raised  against  giving  immediate  battle  to  the 
enemy.  The  actions  of  the  other  vessels  of  the  American  fleet,  however, 
gave  little  promise  of  any  aid  from  that  quarter.  When  the  enemy  was 
first  sighted,  the  swift-sailing  " Alliance"  dashed  forward  to  reconnoitre. 
As  she  passed  the  "  Pallas,"  Landais  cried  out,  that,  if  the  stranger  proved 
to  be  a  forty-four,  the  only  course  for  the  Americans  was  immediate 
flight.  Evidently  the  result  of  his  investigations  convinced  him  that 
in  flight  lay  his  only  hope  of  safety ;  for  he  quickly  hauled  off,  and  stood 
away  from  the  enemy.  The  "Vengeance,"  too,  ran  off  to  windward, 
leaving  the  "Richard"  and  the  "Pallas"  to  bear  the  brunt  of  battle. 

It  was  by  this  time  quite  dark,  and  the  position  of  the  ships  was  out 
lined  by  the  rows  of  open  portholes  gleaming  with  the  lurid  light  of  the 
battle-lanterns.  On  each  ship  rested  a  stillness  like  that  of  death  itself. 
The  men  stood  at  their  guns  silent  and  thoughtful.  Sweet  memories 
of  home  and  loved  ones  mingled  with  fearful  anticipations  of  death  or  of 
mangling  wounds  in  the  minds  of  each.  The  little  lads  whose  duty  in 
time  of  action  it  was  to  carry  cartridges  from  the  magazine  to  the  gunners 
had  ceased  their  boyish  chatter,  and  stood  nervously  at  their  stations. 
Officers  walked  up  and  down  the  decks,  speaking  words  of  encouragement 
to  the  men,  glancing  sharply  at  primers  and  breechings  to  see  that  all 
was  ready,  and  ever  and  anon  stooping  to  peer  through  the  porthole  at 
the  line  of  slowly  moving  lights  that  told  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy. 
On  the  quarter-deck,  Paul  Jones,  with  his  officers  about  him,  stood  care 
fully  watching  the  movements  of  the  enemy  through  a  night  glass,  giving 
occasionally  a  quiet  order  to  the  man  at  the  wheel,  and  now  and  then 
sending  an  agile  midshipman  below  with  orders  to  the  armorer,  or  aloft 
with  orders  for  the  sharp-shooters  posted  in  the  tops. 

As  the  night  came  on,  the  wind  died  away  to  a  gentle  breeze,  that 
hardly  ruffled  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  urged  the  ships  toward  each 
other  but  sluggishly.  As  they  came  within  pistol-shot  of  each  other, 
bow  to  bow,  and  going  on  opposite  tacks,  a  hoarse  cry  came  from  the 
deck  of  the  "Serapis,"  — 

"What  ship  is  that?" 


98  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

"What  is  that  you  say?" 

"What  ship  is  that?     Answer  immediately,  or  I  shall  fire  into  you." 

Instantly  with  a  flash  and  roar  both  vessels  opened  fire.  The  thunder 
of  the  broadsides  reverberated  over  the  waters  ;  and  the  bright  flash  of 
the  cannon,  together  with  the  pale  light  of  the  moon  just  rising,  showed 
Flamborough  Head  crowded  with  multitudes  who  had  come  out  to  witness 
the  grand  yet  awful  spectacle  of  a  naval  duel. 

The  very  first  broadside  seemed  enough  to  wreck  the  fortunes  of 
the  "Richard."  In  her  gun-room  were  mounted  six  long  eighteens,  the 
only  guns  she  carried  that  were  of  sufficient  weight  to  be  matched 
against  the  heavy  ordnance  of  the  "  Serapis."  At  the  very  first  discharge, 
two  of  these  guns  burst  with  frightful  violence.  Huge  masses  of  iron 
were  hurled  in  every  direction,  cutting  through  beams  and  stanchions, 
crashing  through  floors  and  bulkheads,  and  tearing  through  the  agonized 
bodies  of  the  men  who  served  the  guns.  Hardly  a  man  who  was  sta 
tioned  in  the  gun-room  escaped  unhurt  in  the  storm  of  iron  and  splinters. 
Several  huge  blocks  of  iron  crashed  through  the  upper  deck,  injuring 
the  people  on  the  deck  above,  and  causing  the  cry  to  be  raised,  that 
the  magazine  had  blown  up.  This  unhappy  calamity  not  only  rendered 
useless  the  whole  battery  of  eighteen-pounders,  thus  forcing  Jones  tc 
fight  an  eighteen-pounder  frigate  with  a  twelve-pounder  battery,  but  it 
spread  a  panic  among  the  men,  who  saw  the  dangers  of  explosion  added 
to  the  peril  they  were  in  by  reason  of  the  enemy's  continued  fire. 

Jones  himself  left  the  quarter-deck,  and  rushed  forward  among  the 
men,  cheering  them  on,  and  arousing  them  to  renewed  activity  by  his 
exertions.  Now  he  would  lend  a  hand  at  training  some  gun,  now  pull 
at  a  rope,  or  help  a  lagging  powder-monkey  on  his  way.  His  pluck  and 
enthusiasm  infused  new  life  into  the  men ;  and  they  threw  the  heavy 
guns  about  like  playthings,  and  cheered  loudly  as  each  shot  told. 

The  two  ships  were  at  no  time  separated  by  a  greater  distance  than 
half  a  pistol-shot,  and  were  continually  manoeuvring  to  cross  each 
others'  bows,  and  get  in  a  raking  broadside.  In  this  attempt,  they 
crossed  from  one  to  the  other  side  of  each  other;  so  that  now  the  port 
and  now  the  starboard  battery  would  be  engaged.  From  the  shore  these 
evolutions  were  concealed  under  a  dense  cloud  of  smoke,  and  the 
spectators  could  only  see  the  tops  of  the  two  vessels  moving  slowly 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  99 

about  before  the  light  breeze ;  while  the  lurid  flashes  of  the  cannon,  and 
constant  thunder  of  the  broadsides,  told  of  the  deadly  work  going  on. 
At  a  little  distance  were  the  "Countess  of  Scarborough"  and  the 
"  Pallas,"  linked  in  deadly  combat,  and  adding  the  roar  of  their  cannon 
to  the  general  turmoil.  It  seemed  to  the  watchers  on  the  heights  that 
war  was  coming  very  close  to  England. 

The  "  Serapis "  first  succeeded  in  getting  a  raking  position  ;  and,  as 
she  slowly  crossed  her  antagonist's  bow,  her  guns  were  fired,  loaded  again, 
and  again  discharged,  —  the  heavy  bolts  crashing  into  the  "  Richard's " 
bow,  and  ranging  aft,  tearing  the  flesh  of  the  brave  fellows  on  the 
decks,  and  cutting  through  timbers  and  cordage  in  their  frightful  course. 
At  this  moment,  the  Americans  almost  despaired  of  the  termination  of 
the  conflict.  The  "  Richard "  proved  to  be  old  and  rotten,  and  the 
enemy's  shot  seemed  to  tear  her  timbers  to  pieces  ;  while  the  "  Serapis  " 
was  new,  with  timbers  that  withstood  the  shock  of  the  balls  like  steel 
armor.  Jones  saw  that  in  a  battle  with  great  guns  he  was  sure  to  be 
the  loser.  He  therefore  resolved  to  board. 

Soon  the  "  Richard "  made  an  attempt  to  cross  the  bows  of  the 
"  Serapis,"  but  not  having  way  enough  failed ;  and  the  "  Serapis "  ran 
foul  of  her,  with  her  long  bowsprit  projecting  over  the  stern  of  the 
American  ship.  Springing  from  the  quarter  deck,  Jones  with  his  own 
hands  swung  grappling-irons  into  the  rigging  of  the  enemy,  and  made 
the  ships  fast.  As  he  bent  to  his  work,  he  was  a  prominent  target  for 
every  sharp-shooter  on  the  British  vessel,  and  the  bullets  hummed  thick1 
about  his  ears  ;  but  he  never  flinched.  His  work  done,  he  clambered 
back  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  set  about  gathering  the  boarders.  The 
two  vessels  swung  alongside  each  other.  The  cannonading  was 
redoubled,  and  the  heavy  ordnance  of  the  "  Serapis "  told  fearfully  upon 
the  "Richard."  The  American  gunners  were  driven  from  their  guns 
by  the  flying  cloud  of  shot  and  splinters.  Each  party  thought  the 
other  was  about  to  board.  The  darkness  and  the  smoke  made  all  vision 
impossible  ;  and  the  boarders  on  each  vessel  were  crouched  behind  the 
bulwarks,  ready  to  give  a  hot  reception  to  their  enemies.  This  suspense 
caused  a  temporary  lull  in  the  firing,  and  Capt.  Pearson  of  the  "  Serapis  " 
shouted  out  through  the  sulphurous  blackness,  — 

"  Have  you  struck  your  colors  ?  " 


100  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

"I  have  not  yet  begun  to  fight,"  replied  Jones;  and  again  the  thunder 
of  the  cannon  awakened  the  echoes  on  the  distant  shore.  As  the  firing 
recommenced,  the  two  ships  broke  away  and  drifted  apart.  Again  the 
"  Serapis  "  sought  to  get  a  raking  position  ;  but  by  this  time  Jones  had 
determined  that  his  only  hope  lay  in  boarding.  Terrible  had  been  the 
execution  on  his  ship.  The  cockpit  was  filled  with  the  wounded.  The 
mangled  remains  of  the  dead  lay  thick  about  the  decks.  The  timbers 
of  the  ship  were  greatly  shattered,  and  her  cordage  was  so  badly  cut  that 
skilful  manoeuvring  was  impossible.  Many  shot-holes  were  beneath  the 
water-line,  and  the  hold  was  rapidly  filling.  Therefore,  Jones  determined 
to  ran  down  his  enemy,  and  get  out  his  boarders,  at  any  cost. 

Soon  the  two  vessels  were  foul  again.  Capt.  Pearson,  knowing  that 
his  advantage  lay  in  long-distance  fighting,  strove  to  break  away.  Jones 
bent  all  his  energies  to  the  task  of  keeping  the  ships  together.  Mean 
time  the  battle  raged  fiercely.  Jones  himself,  in  his  official  report  of  the 
battle,  thus  describes  the  course  of  the  fight :  — 

"  I  directed  the  fire  of  one  of  the  three  cannon  against  the  main-mast 
with  double-headed  shot,  while  the  other  two  were  exceedingly  well 
served  with  grape  and  canister  shot,  to  silence  the  enemy's  musketry, 
and  clear  her  decks,  which  was  at  last  effected.  The  enemy  were,  as  I 
have  since  understood,  on  the  instant  for  calling  for  quarter,  when  the 
cowardice  or  treachery  of  three  of  my  under  officers  induced  them  to 
call  to  the  enemy.  The  English  commodore  asked  me  if  I  demanded 
quarter ;  and  I  having  answered  him  in  the  negative,  they  renewed  the 
battle  with  double  fury.  They  were  unable  to  stand  the  deck;  but  the 
fury  of  their  cannon,  especially  the  lower  battery,  which  was  entirely 
formed  of  eighteen-pounders,  was  incessant.  Both  ships  were  set  on 
fire  in  various  places,  and  the  scene  was  dreadful  beyond  the  reach  of 
language.  To  account  for  the  timidity  of  my  three  under  officers  (I  mean 
the  gunner,  the  carpenter,  and  the  master-at-arms),  I  must  observe  that 
the  two  first  were  slightly  wounded  ;  and  as  the  ship  had  received  various 
shots  under  water,  and  one  of  the  pumps  being  shot  away,  the  carpenter 
expressed  his  fear  that  she  would  sink,  and  the  other  two  concluded 
that  she  was  sinking,  which  occasioned  the  gunner  to  run  aft  on  the 
poop,  without  my  knowledge,  to  strike  the  colors.  Fortunately  for  me  a 
cannon-ball  had  done  that  before  by  carrying  away  the  ensign  staff :  he 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  IOI 

was,  therefore,  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  sinking  —  as  he  supposed  — 
or  of  calling  for  quarter;  and  he  preferred  the  latter." 

Indeed,  the  petty  officers  were  little  to  be  blamed  for  considering  the 
condition  of  the  "  Richard  "  hopeless.  The  great  guns  of  the  "  Serapis," 
with  their  muzzles  not  twenty  feet  away,  were  hurling  solid  shot  and 
grape  through  the  flimsy  shell  of  the  American  ship.  So  close  together 
did  the  two  ships  come  at  times,  that  the  rammers  were  sometimes  thrust 
into  the  portholes  of  the  opposite  ship  in  loading.  When  the  ships  first 
swung  together,  the  lower  ports  of  the  "  Serapis  "  were  closed  to  prevent 
the  Americans  boarding  through  them.  But  in  the  heat  of  the  conflict 
the  ports  were  quickly  blown  off,  and  the  iron  throats  of  the  great  guns 
again  protruded,  and  dealt  out  their  messages  of  death.  How  frightful 
was  the  scene !  In  the  two  great  ships  were  more  than  seven  hundred 
men,  their  eyes  lighted  with  the  fire  of  hatred,  their  faces  blackened  with 
powder  or  made  ghastly  by  streaks  of  blood.  Cries  of  pain,  yells  of 
rige,  prayers,  and  curses  rose  shrill  above  the  thunderous  monotone  of  the 
cannonade.  Both  ships  were  on  fire ;  and  the  black  smoke  of  the  confla 
gration,  mingled  with  the  gray  gunpowder  smoke,  and  lighted  up  by  the 
red  flashes  of  the  cannonade,  added  to  the  terrible  picturesqueness  of 
the  scene. 

The  "  Richard "  seemed  like  a  spectre  ship,  so  shattered  was  her 
frame-work.  From  the  main-mast  to  the  stern  post,  her  timbers  above 
the  water-line  were  shot  away,  a  few  blackened  posts  alone  preventing 
the  upper  deck  from  falling.  Through  this  ruined  shell  swept  the  shot 
of  the  "  Serapis,"  finding  little  to  impede  their  flight  save  human  flesh 
and  bone.  Great  streams  of  water  were  pouring  into  the  hold.  The 
pitiful  cries  of  nearly  two  hundred  prisoners  aroused  the  compassion  of 
an  officer,  who  ran  below  and  liberated  them.  Driven  from  the  hold 
by  the  in-pouring  water,  these  unhappy  men  ran  to  the  deck,  only  to 
be  swept  down  by  the  storm  of  cannon-shot  and  bullets.  Fire,  too, 
encompassed  them ;  and  the  flames  were  so  fast  sweeping  down  upon 
the  magazine,  that  Capt.  Jones  ordered  the  powder-kegs  to  be  brought 
up  and  thrown  into  the  sea.  At  this  work,  and  at  the  pumps,  the 
prisoners  were  kept  employed  until  the  end  of  the  action. 

But  though  the  heavy  guns  of  the  "Serapis"  had  it  all  their  own 
way  below,  shattering  the  hull  of  the  "Richard,"  and  driving  the 


102  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

Yankee  gunners  from  their  quarters,  the  conflict,  viewed  from  the  tops, 
was  not  so  one-sided.  The  Americans  crowded  on  the  forecastle  and  in 
the  tops,  where  they  continued  the  battle  with  musketry  and  hand- 
grenades,  with  such  murderous  effect  that  the  British  were  driven 
entirely  from  the  upper  deck.  Once  a  party  of  about  one  hundred 
picked  men,  mustered  below  by  Capt.  Pearson,  rushed  to  the  upper 
deck  of  the  "Serapis,"  and  thence  made  a  descent  upon  the  deck  of  the 
"Richard,"  firing  pistols,  brandishing  cutlasses,  and  yelling  like  demons. 
But  the  Yankee  tars  were  ready  for  them  at  that  game,  and  gave  the 
boarders  so  spirited  a  reception  with  pikes  and  cutlasses,  that  they  were 
ready  enough  to  swarm  over  the  bulwarks,  and  seek  again  the  comparative 
safety  of  their  own  ship. 

But  all  this  time,  though  the  Americans  were  making  a  brave  and 
desperate  defence,  the  tide  of  battle  was  surely  going  against  them 
Though  they  held  the  deck  of  the  "  Richard "  secure  against  all  comers, 
yet  the  Englishmen  were  cutting  the  ship  away  from  beneath  them, 
with  continued  heavy  broadsides.  Suddenly  the  course  of  battle  was 
changed,  and  victory  took  her  stand  with  the  Americans,  all  through 
the  daring  and  coolness  of  one  man,  —  no  officer,  but  an  humble  jacky. 

The  rapid  and  accurate  fire  of  the  sharp-shooters  on  the  "  Richard " 
had  driven  all  the  riflemen  of  the  "Serapis"  from  their  posts  in  the 
tops.  Seeing  this,  the  Americans  swarmed  into  the  rigging  of  their 
own  ship,  and  from  that  elevated  station  poured  down  a  destructive  fire 
of  hand-grenades  upon  the  decks  of  the  enemy.  The  sailors  on  the 
deck  of  the  "Richard"  seconded  this  attack,  by  throwing  the  same 
missiles  through  the  open  ports  of  the  enemy. 

At  last  one  American  topman,  filling  a  bucket  with  grenades,  and 
hanging  it  on  his  left  arm,  clambered  out  on  the  yard-arm  of  the 
"  Richard,"  that  stretched  far  out  over  the  deck  of  the  British  ship. 
Cautiously  the  brave  fellow  crept  out  on  the  slender  spar.  His  com 
rades  below  watched  his  progress,  while  the  sharp-shooters  kept  a  wary 
eye  on  the  enemy,  lest  some  watchful  rifleman  should  pick  off  the 
adventurous  blue-jacket.  Little  by  little  the  nimble  sailor  crept  out  on 
the  yard,  until  he  was  over  the  crowded  gun-deck  of  the  "Serapis." 
Then,  lying  at  full  length  on  the  spar,  and  somewhat  protected  by  it, 
he  began  to  shower  his  missiles  upon  the  enemy's  gun-deck.  Great  was 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  103 

the  execution  done  by  each  grenade ;  but  at  last,  one  better  aimed 
than  the  rest  fell  through  the  main  hatch  to  the  main  deck.  There 
was  a  flash,  then  a  succession  of  quick  explosions ;  a  great  sheet  of 
flame  gushed  up  through  the  hatchway,  and  a  chorus  of  cries  told 
of  some  frightful  tragedy  enacted  below. 

It  seemed  that  the  powder-boys  of  the  "  Serapis  "  had  been  too  active 
in  bringing  powder  to  the  guns,  and,  instead  of  bringing  cartridges  as 
needed,  had  kept  one  charge  in  advance  of  the  demand ;  so  that  behind 
every  gun  stood  a  cartridge,  making  a  line  of  cartridges  on  the  deck 
from  bow  to  stern.  Several  cartridges  had  been  broken,  so  that  much 
loose  powder  lay  upon  the  deck.  This  was  fired  by  the  discharge  of  the 
hand-grenade,  and  communicated  the  fire  to  the  cartridges,  which  exploded 
in  rapid  succession,  horribly  burning  scores  of  men.  More  than  twenty 
men  were  killed  instantly ;  and  so  great  was  the  flame  and  the  force  of 
the  explosion,  that  many  of  them  were  left  with  nothing  on  but  the 
collars  and  wristbands  of  their  shirts,  and  the  waistbands  of  their  trousers. 
It  is  impossible  to  conceive  of  the  horror  of  the  sight. 

Capt.  Pearson  in  his  official  report  of  the  battle,  speaking  of  this 
occurrence,  says,  "A  hand-grenade  being  thrown  in  at  one  of  the  lower 
ports,  a  cartridge  of  powder  was  set  on  fire,  the  flames  of  which,  running 
from  cartridge  to  cartridge  all  the  way  aft,  blew  up  the  whole  of  the 
people  and  officers  that  were  quartered  abaft  the  main-mast ;  from  which 
unfortunate  circumstance  those  guns  were  rendered  useless  for  the 
remainder  of  the  action,  and  I  fear  that  the  greater  part  of  the  people 
will  lose  their  lives." 

This  event  changed  the  current  of  the  battle.  The  English  were 
hemmed  between  decks  by  the  fire  of  the  American  topmen,  and  they 
found  that  not  even  then  were  they  protected  from  the  fiery  hail  of 
hand-grenades.  The  continual  pounding  of  double-headed  shot  from  a 
gun  which  Jones  had  trained  upon  the  main-mast  of  the  enemy  had  finally 
cut  away  that  spar;  and  it  fell  with  a  crash  upon  the  deck,  bringing 
down  spars  and  rigging  with  it.  Flames  were  rising  from  the  tarred 
cordage,  and  spreading  to  the  framework  of  the  ship.  The  Americans 
saw  victory  within  their  grasp. 

But  at  this  moment  a  new  and  most  unsuspected  enemy  appeared 
upon  the  scene.  The  "  Alliance,"  which  had  stood  aloof  during  the  heat 


104  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


of  the  conflict,  now  appeared,  and,  after  firing  a  few  shots  into  the 
"Serapis,"  ranged  slowly  down  along  the  "  Richard,"  pouring  a  murderous 
fire  of  grape-shot  into  the  already  shattered  ship.  Jones  thus  tells  the 
story  of  this  treacherous  and  wanton  assault  :  — 

"  I  now  thought  that  the  battle  was  at  an  end.  But,  to  my  utter 
astonishment,  he  discharged  a  broadside  full  into  the  stern  of  the  '  Bon 
Homme  Richard.'  We  called  to  him  for  God's  sake  to  forbear.  Yet  he 
passed  along  the  off-side  of  the  ship,  and  continued  firing.  There  was  no 
possibility  of  his  mistaking  the  enemy's  ship  for  the  '  Bon  Homme  Richard,' 
there  being  the  most  essential  difference  in  their  appearance  and  construc 
tion.  Besides,  it  was  then  full  moonlight ;  and  the  sides  of  the  '  Bon 
Homme  Richard '  were  all  black,  and  the  sides  of  the  enemy's  ship 
were  yellow.  Yet,  for  the  greater  security,  I  showed  the  signal  for  our 
reconnoissance,  by  putting  out  three  lanterns,  —  one  at  the  bow,  one  at 
the  stern,  and  one  at  the  middle,  in  a  horizontal  line. 

"  Every  one  cried  that  he  was  firing  into  the  wrong  ship,  but  nothing 
availed.  He  passed  around,  firing  into  the  '  Bon  Homme  Richard,' 
head,  stern,  and  broadside,  and  by  one  of  his  volleys  killed  several  of 
my  best  men,  and  mortally  wounded  a  good  officer  of  the  forecastle.  My 
situation  was  truly  deplorable.  The  '  Bon  Homme  Richard '  received 
several  shots  under  the  water  from  the  'Alliance.'  The  leak  gained 
on  the  pumps,  and  the  fire  increased  much  on  board  both  ships.  Some 
officers  entreated  me  to  strike,  of  whose  courage  and  sense  I  entertain  a 
high  opinion.  I  would  not,  however,  give  up  the  point." 

Fortunately  Landais  did  not  persist  in  his  cowardly  attack  upon  his 
friends  in  the  almost  sinking  ship,  but  sailed  off,  and  allowed  the 
"  Richard "  to  continue  her  life-and-death  struggle  with  her  enemy. 
The  struggle  was  not  now  of  long  duration ;  for  Capt.  Pearson,  seeing 
that  his  ship  was  a  perfect  wreck,  and  that  the  fire  was  gaining  head 
way,  hauled  down  his  colors  with  his  own  hands,  since  none  of  his  men 
could  be  persuaded  to  brave  the  fire  from  the  tops  of  the  "Richard." 

As  the  proud  emblem  of  Great  Britain  fluttered  down,  Lieut.  Richard 
Dale  turned  to  Capt.  Jones,  and  asked  permission  to  board  the  prize. 
Receiving  an  affirmative  answer,  he  jumped  on  the  gunwale,  seized 
the  mainbrace-pendant,  and  swung  himself  upon  the  quarter-deck  of  the 
saptured  ship.  Midshipman  Mayrant,  with  a  large  party  of  sailors,  followed. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  105 


So  great  was  the  confusion  on  the  "  Serapis,"  that  few  of  the  English 
men  knew  that  the  ship  had  been  surrendered.  As  Mayrant  came 
iboard,  he  was  mistaken  for  the  leader  of  a  boarding-party,  and  run 
through  the  thigh  with  a  pike. 

Capt.  Pearson  was  found  standing  alone  upon  the  quarter-deck, 
contemplating  with  a  sad  face  the  shattered  condition  of  his  once  noble 
ship,  and  the  dead  bodies  of  his  brave  fellows  lying  about  the  decks. 
Stepping  up  to  him,  Lieut.  Dale  said,  — 

"  Sir,  I  have  orders  to  send  you  on  board  the  ship  alongside." 

At  this  moment,  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  "  Serapis "  came  up 
hastily,  and  inquired,  — 

"  Has  the  enemy  struck  her  flag  ? " 

"No,  sir,"  answered  Dale.     "On  the  contrary,  you  have  struck  to  us." 

Turning  quickly  to  his  commander,  the  English  lieutenant  asked,  — 

"  Have  you  struck,  sir  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have,"  was  the  brief  reply. 

"  I  have  nothing  more  to  say,"  remarked  the  officer,  and  turning 
about  was  in  the  act  of  going  below,  when  Lieut.  Dale  stopped  him, 
saying,  — 

"  It  is  my  duty  to  request  you,  sir,  to  accompany  Capt.  Pearson  on 
board  the  ship  alongside." 

"  If  you  will  first  permit  me  to  go  below,"  responded  the  other,  "  I 
will  silence  the  firing  of  the  lower  deck  guns." 

"  This  cannot  be  permitted,"  was  the  response ;  and,  silently  bowing 
his  head,  the  lieutenant  followed  his  chief  to  the  victorious  ship,  while 
two  midshipmen  went  below  to  stop  the  firing. 

Lieut.  Dale  remained  in  command  of  the  "Serapis."  Seating  himself 
on  the  binnacle,  he  ordered  the  lashings  which  had  bound  the  two 
ships  throughout  the  bloody  conflict  to  be  cut.  Then  the  head-sails 
were  braced  back,  and  the  wheel  put  down.  But,  as  the  ship  had  been 
anchored  at  the  beginning  of  the  battle,  she  refused  to  answer  either 
helm  or  canvas.  Vastly  astounded  at  this,  Dale  leaped  from  the  binnacle ; 
but  his  legs  refused  to  support  him,  and  he  fell  heavily  to  the  deck. 
His  followers  sprang  to  his  aid ;  and  it  was  found  that  the  lieutenant  had 
been  severely  wounded  in  the  leg  by  a  splinter,  but  had  fought  out  the 
battle  without  ever  noticing  his  hurt. 


106  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

So  ended  this  memorable  battle.  But  the  feelings  of  pride  and 
exultation  so  natural  to  a  victor  died  away  in  the  breast  of  the  American 
captain  as  he  looked  about  the  scene  of  wreck  and  carnage.  On  ai] 
aides  lay  the  mutilated  bodies  of  the  gallant  fellows  who  had  so  bravely 
stood  to  their  guns  amid  the  storm  of  death-dealing  missiles.  There 
they  lay,  piled  one  on  top  of  the  other,  —  some  with  their  agonized 
writhings  caught  and  fixed  by  death ;  others  calm  and  peaceful,  as 
though  sleeping.  Powder-boys,  young  and  tender,  lay  by  the  side  of 
grizzled  old  seamen.  Words  cannot  picture  the  scene.  In  his  journal 
Capt.  Jones  wrote:  — 

"A  person  must  have  been  an  eye-witness  to  form  a  just  idea  of 
the  tremendous  scene  of  carnage,  wreck,  and  ruin  that  everywhere 
appeared.  Humanity  cannot  but  recoil  from  the  prospect  of  such  finished 
horror,  and  lament  that  war  should  produce  such  fatal  consequences/' 

But  worse  than  the  appearance  of  the  main  deck  was  the  scene  in 
the  cockpit  and  along  the  gun-deck,  which  had  been  converted  into  a 
temporary  hospital.  Here  lay  the  wounded,  ranged  in  rows  along  the 
deck.  Moans  and  shrieks  of  agony  were  heard  on  every  side.  The 
surgeons  were  busy  with  their  glittering  instruments.  The  tramp  of  men 
on  the  decks  overhead,  and  the  creaking  of  the  timbers  of  the  water 
logged  ship,  added  to  the  cries  of  the  wounded,  made  a  perfect  bedlam 
of  the  place. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  discover  that  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard " 
was  a  complete  wreck,  and  in  a  sinking  condition.  The  gallant  old 
craft  had  kept  afloat  while  the  battle  was  being  fought  ;  but  now,  that 
the  victory  had  remained  with  her,  she  had  given  up  the  struggle 
against  the  steadily  encroaching  waves.  The  carpenters  who  had 
explored  the  hold  came  on  deck  with  long  faces,  and  reported  that 
nothing  could  be  done  to  stop  the  great  holes  made  by  the  shot  of  the 
'•'  Serapis."  Therefore  Jones  determined  to  remove  his  crew  and  all 
the  wounded  to  the  "  Serapis,"  and  abandon  the  noble  "Richard"  to 
her  fate.  Accordingly,  all  available  hands  were  put  at  the  pumps,  and 
the  work  of  transferring  the  wounded  was  begun.  Slings  were  rigged 
over  the  side ;  and  the  poor  shattered  bodies  were  gently  lowered  into 
the  boats  awaiting  them,  and,  on  reaching  the  "Serapis,"  were  placed 
tenderly  in  cots  ranged  along  the  main  deck.  All  night  the  work  went  on  ; 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  IO7 

and  by  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning  there  were  left  on  the  "  Richard  " 
only  a  few  sailors,  who  alternately  worked  at  the  pumps,  and  fought  the 
steadily  encroaching  flames. 

For  Jones  did  not  intend  to  desert  the  good  old  ship  without  a 
struggle  to  save  her,  even  though  both  fire  and  water  were  warring  against 
her.  Not  until  the  morning  dawned  did  the  Americans  fully  appreciate 
how  shattered  was  the  hulk  that  stood  between  them  and  a  watery 
grave.  Fenimore  Cooper,  the  pioneer  historian  of  the  United  States 
navy,  writes  :  — 

"  When  the  day  dawned,  an  examination  was  made  into  the  situation 
of  the  '  Richard.'  Abaft  on  a  line  with  those  guns  of  the  '  Serapis ' 
that  had  not  been  disabled  by  the  explosion,  the  timbers  were  found 
to  be  nearly  ali  beaten  in,  or  beaten  out,  —  for  in  this  respect  there  was 
little  difference  between  the  two  sides  of  the  ship,  —  and  it  was  said  that 
her  poop  and  upper  decks  would  have  fallen  into  the  gun-room,  but  for 
a  few  buttocks  that  had  been  missed.  Indeed,  so  large  was  the  vacuum, 
that  most  of  the  shot  fired  from  this  part  of  the  *  Serapis,'  at  the  close 
of  the  action,  must  have  gone  through  the  '  Richard  '  without  touching 
any  thing.  The  rudder  was  cut  from  the  stern  post,  and  the  transoms 
were  nearly  driven  out  of  her.  All  the  after-part  of  the  ship,  in  particular, 
that  was  below  the  quarter-deck  was  torn  to  pieces  ;  and  nothing  had 
saved  those  stationed  on  the  quarter-deck  but  the  impossibility  of 
sufficiently  elevating  guns  that  almost  touched  their  object." 

Despite  the  terribly  shattered  condition  of  the  ship,  her  crew  worked 
manfully  to  save  her.  But,  after  fighting  the  flames  and  working  the 
pumps  all  day,  they  were  reluctantly  forced  to  abandon  the  good  ship  to 
her  fate.  It  was  nine  o'clock  at  night,  that  the  hopelessness  of  the  task 
became  evident.  The  "  Richard "  rolled  heavily  from  side  to  side.  The 
sea  was  up  to  her  lower  port-holes.  At  each  roll  the  water  gushed 
through  her  port-holes,  and  swashed  through  the  hatchways.  At  ten 
o'clock,  with  a  last  dying  surge,  the  shattered  hulk  plunged  to  her  final 
resting-place,  carrying  with  her  the  bodies  of  her  dead.  They  had  died 
the  noblest  of  all  deaths, — the  death  of  a  patriot  killed  in  doing  battle 
for  his  country.  They  receive  the  grandest  of  all  burials, — the  burial 
of  a  sailor  who  follows  his  ship  to  her  grave,  on  the  hard,  white  sand, 

in  the  calm  depths  of  the  ocean. 
5 


108  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

How  many  were  there  that  went  down  with  the  ship?  History  does 
not  accurately  state.  Capt.  Jones  himself  was  never  able  to  tell  how 
great  was  the  number  of  dead  upon  his  ship.  The  most  careful  estimate 
puts  the  number  at  forty-two.  Of  the  wounded  on  the  American  ship, 
there  were  about  forty.  All  these  were  happily  removed  from  the; 
"  Richard  "  before  she  sunk. 

On  the  "  Serapis "  the  loss  was  much  greater ;  but  here,  too,  history 
is  at  fault,  in  that  no  official  returns  of  the  killed  and  wounded  have 
been  preserved.  Capt.  Jones's  estimate,  which  is  probably  nearly  correct, 
put  the  loss  of  the  English  ship  at  about  a  hundred  killed,  and  an  equal 
number  wounded. 

The  sinking  of  the  "  Richard "  left  the  "  Serapis "  crowded  with 
wounded  of  both  nations,  prisoners,  and  the  remnant  of  the  crew  of  the 
sunken  ship.  No  time  was  lost  in  getting  the  ship  in  navigable  shape, 
and  in  clearing  away  the  traces  of  the  battle.  The  bodies  of  the  dead 
were  thrown  overboard.  The  decks  were  scrubbed  and  sprinkled  with 
hot  vinegar.  The  sound  of  the  hammer  and  the  saw  was  heard  on  every 
hand,  as  the  carpenters  stopped  the  leaks,  patched  the  deck,  and  rigged 
new  spars  in  place  of  those  shattered  by  the  "  Richard's "  fire.  All 
three  of  the  masts  had  gone  by  the  board.  Jury  masts  were  rigged  ;  and 
with  small  sails  stretched  on  these  the  ship  beat  about  the  ocean,  the 
plaything  of  the  winds.  Her  consorts  had  left  her.  Landais,  seeing  no 
chance  to  rob  Jones  of  the  honor  of  the  victory,  had  taken  the  *'  Alliance  " 
to  other  waters.  The  "  Pallas "  had  been  victorious  in  her  contest  with 
the  "  Countess  of  Scarborough ; "  and,  as  soon  as  the  issue  of  the  conflict 
between  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard "  and  the  "  Serapis "  had  become 
evident,  she  made  off  with  her  prize,  intent  upon  gaining  a  friendly 
port.  The  "Richard,"  after  ten  days  of  drifting,  finally  ran  into  Texel, 
in  the  north  of  Holland. 

The  next  year  was  one  of  comparative  inactivity  for  Jones.  He 
enjoyed  for  a  time  the  praise  of  all  friends  of  the  revolting  colonies. 
He  was  the  lion  of  Paris.  Then  came  the  investigation  into  the  action 
of  Landais  at  the  time  of  the  great  battle.  Though  his  course  at  that 
time  was  one  of  open  treachery,  inspired  by  his  wish  to  have  Jones 
strike  to  the  "  Serapis,"  that  he  might  have  the  honor  of  capturing  both 
ships,  Landais  escaped  any  punishment  at  the  hands  of  his  French 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  IO9 

compatriots.  But  he  was  relieved  of  the  command  of  the  "Alliance,"; 
which  was  given  to  Jones.  Highly  incensed  at  this  action,  the  erratic 
Frenchman  incited  the  crew  of  the  "Alliance"  to  open  mutiny,  and, 
taking  command  of  the  ship  himself,  left  France  and  sailed  for  America, 
leaving  Commodore  Jones  in  the  lurch.  On  his  arrival  at  Philadelphia, 
Landais  strove  to  justify  his  action  by  blackening  the  character  of 
Jones,  but  failed  in  this,  and  was  dismissed  the  service.  His  actions 
should  be  regarded  with  some  charity,  for  the  man  was  doubtless  of 
unsound  mind.  His  insanity  became  even  more  evident  after  his  dis 
missal  from  the  navy ;  and  from  that  time,  until  the  time  of  his  death, 
his  eccentricities  made  him  generally  regarded  as  one  mentally  un 
sound. 

Jones,  having  lost  the  "Alliance"  by  the  mutiny  of  Landais,  remained 
abroad,  waiting  for  another  ship.  He  travelled  widely  on  the  Continent, 
and  was  lavishly  entertained  by  the  rich  and  noble  of  every  nation.  Not 
until  October,  1780,  did  he  again  tread  the  deck  of  a  vessel  under  his 
own  command. 

The  ship  which  the  French  Government  finally  fitted  out  and  put  in 
command  of  Paul  Jones  was  the  "Ariel,"  a  small  twenty-gun  ship.  This 
vessel  the  adventurous  sailor  packed  full  of  powder  and  cannon-balls, 
taking  only  provisions  enough  for  nine  weeks,  and  evidently  expecting 
to  live  off  the  prizes  he  calculated  upon  taking.  He  sailed  from  1'Orient 
on  a  bright  October  afternoon,  under  clear  skies,  and  with  a  fair  wind, 
intending  to  proceed  directly  to  the  coast  of  America.  But  the  first 
night  out  there  arose  a  furious  gale.  The  wind  howled  through  the 
rigging,  tore  the  sails  from  the  ring  -  bolts,  snapped  the  spars,  and 
seriously  wrecked  the  cordage  of  the  vessel.  The  great  waves,  lashed 
into  fury  by  the  hurricane,  smote  against  the  sides  of  the  little  craft  as 
though  they  would  burst  through  her  sheathing.  The  ship  rolled  heavily ; 
and  the  yards,  in  their  grand  sweep  from  side  to  side,  often  plunged  deep 
into  the  foaming  waves.  At  last  so  great  became  the  strain  upon  the 
vessel,  that  the  crew  were  set  to  work  with  axes  to  cut  away  the  foremast. 
Balancing  themselves  upon  the  tossing,  slippery  deck,  holding  fast  to  a 
rope  with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  they  swung  the  axe,  the  gallant 
fellows  finally  cut  so  deep  into  the  heart  of  the  stout  spar,  that  a  heavy 
roll  of  the  ship  made  it  snap  off  short,  and  it  fell  alongside,  where  it 


1 10  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 

hung  by  the  cordage.  The  wreck  was  soon  cleared  away ;  and  as  this 
seemed  to  ease  the  ship  somewhat,  and  as  she  was  drifting  about 
near  the  dreaded  rock  of  Penmarque,  the  anchors  were  got  out.  But  in 
the  mean  time  the  violent  rolling  of  the  "  Ariel "  had  thrown  the  heel 
of  the  main-mast  from  the  step ;  and  the  heavy  mast  was  reeling  about,  * 
threatening  either  to  plough  its  way  upward  through  the  gun-deck,  or  to 
crash  through  the  bottom  of  the  ship.  It  was  determined  to  cut  away 
this  mast ;  but,  before  this  could  be  done,  it  fell,  carrying  with  it  the 
mizzen-mast,  and  crushing  in  the  deck  on  which  it  fell.  Thus  dismasted, 
the  "Ariel"  rode  out  the  gale.  All  night  and  all  the  next  day  she  was 
tossed  about  on  the  angry  waters.  Her  crew  thought  that  their  last  hour 
had  surely  come.  Over  the  shrieking  of  the  gale,  and  the  roaring  of  the 
waves,  rose  that  steady,  all-pervading  sound,  which  brings  horror  to  the  mind 
of  the  sailor,  —  the  dull,  monotonous  thunder  of  the  breakers  on  the  reef  of 
Penmarque.  But  the  " Ariel"  was  not  fated  to  be  ground  to  pieces  on 
the  jagged  teeth  of  the  cruel  reef.  Though  she  drifted  about,  the  plaything 
of  the  winds  and  the  waves,  she  escaped  the  jaws  of  Penmarque.  Finally 
the  gale  subsided;  and,  with  hastily  devised  jury-masts,  the  shattered  ship 
was  taken  back  to  1'Orient  to  refit. 

Two  months  were  consumed  in  the  work  of  getting  the  shattered 
vessel  ready  for  sea.  When  she  again  set  out,  she  met  with  no  mishap, 
until,  when  near  the  American  coast,  she  fell  in  with  a  British  vessel  to 
which  she  gave  battle.  A  sharp  action  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour  forced 
the  Englishman  to  strike  his  colors  ;  but,  while  the  Americans  were 
preparing  to  board  the  prize,  she  sailed  away,  vastly  to  the  chagrin  and 
indignation  of  her  would-be  captors. 

The  short  cruise  of  the  "  Ariel "  was  the  last  service  rendered  by  Paul 
Jones  to  the  American  Colonies.  On  his  arrival  at  Philadelphia,  he  was 
dined  and  feted  to  his  heart's  desire;  he  received  a  vote  of  thanks  from 
Congress ;  he  became  the  idol  of  the  populace.  But  the  necessities  of  the 
struggling  colonies  were  such  that  they  were  unable  to  build  for  him  a 
proper  war-ship,  and  he  remained  inactive  upon  shore  until  the  close  of 
the  Revolution,  when  he  went  abroad,  and  took  service  with  Russia.  He 
is  the  one  great  character  in  the  naval  history  of  the  Revolution.  He  is 
the  first  heroic  figure  in  American  naval  annals.  Not  until  years  after  his 
death  did  men  begin  to  know  him  at  his  true  worth.  He  was  too  often 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


Ill 


looked  upon  as  a  man  of  no  patriotism,  but  wholly  mercenary ;  courageous, 
but   only  with   the   daring  of  a   pirate.     Not   until   he  had  died  a  lonely 
death,  estranged  from  the  country  he  had  so  nobly  served,  did  men  come 
to  know  Paul  Jones  as  a  model  naval  officer,  high-minded  in  his  patriotisn 
pure  in  his  life,  elevated  in  his  sentiments,  and  as  courageous  as  a  lion. 


CHAPTER    X. 


CAREER  OF  NICHOLAS  BIDDLE.  —  HIS  EXPLOIT  AT  LEWISTON  JAIL.  —  CRUISE  IX  THE 
"  RANDOLPH."  —  BATTLE  WITH  THE  "  YARMOUTH."  —  THE  FATAL  EXPLOSION.  —  SAMUEL 
TUCKER.  —HIS  BOYHOOD.  —  ENCOUNTER  WITH  CORSAIRS.  — CRUISING  IN  THE  "  FRANK 
LIN."—  IN  COMMAND  OF  THE  "  BOSTON."  —  ANECDOTES  OF  CAPT.  TUCKER. 


N"  THE  career  of  Paul  Jones  is  to  be  found  the  record  of  the  most 
stirring  events  of  the  Revolution  ;  but  there  were  other  command 
ers  in  the  young  American  navy  no  less  daring  than  he.  As  the 
chief  naval  representative  of  the  Colonies  who  cruised  in  European 
waters,  Jones  achieved  a  notoriety  somewhat  out  of  proportion  to  his  actual 
achievements.  But  other  brave  seamen  did  gallant  service  along  the 
Atlantic  coast  for  the  cause  of  the  struggling  nation,  and,  by  their  daring 
and  nautical  skill,  did  much  to  bring  the  war  of  the  Revolution  to  its 
happy  conclusion. 

We  abandoned  our  consideration  of  the  general  naval  events  of  the  war, 
to  turn  to  a  recountal  of  the  exploits  of  Paul  Jones  at  the  close  of  the  year 
1776.  Hostilities  on  the  water  during  that  year  were  confined  to  sharp, 
but  short,  actions  between  small  men-of-war  or  privateers.  The  Americans 

112 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  1 13 

lacked  the  discipline  and  experience  necessary  to  win  for  themselves 
any  great  reputation  on  the  water.  Though  they  showed  themselves  full 
of  dash  and  spirit,  they  were  deficient  in  discipline  and  staying  qualities. 
Nevertheless,  the  record  of  the  year  was  by  no  means  discreditable  to  so 
young  a  naval  organization. 

Aside  from  the  naval  operations  on  the  ocean,  the  year  1776  had  seen 
the  thick  clouds  of  gunpowder-smoke  floating  across  the  placid  surface 
of  Lake  Champlain,  while  the  wooded  hills  that  surrounded  that  lake  and 
Lake  George  more  than  once  resounded  with  thunderous  tones  of  cannon. 
The  hostile  meetings  of  the  English  and  Americans  on  the  interior  lakes 
are  hardly  to  be  classed  as  naval  engagements.  The  vessels  were  chiefly 
gondolas  and  galleys,  and  many  of  their  crews  had  never  seen  salt  water. 
On  the  British  side  the  forces  were  more  considerable.  In  October,  1776, 
the  British  had  on  Lake  Champlain  at  least  one  full-rigged  ship ;  and  their 
schooners  and  galleys  were  all  manned  by  trained  sailors,  drafted  from 
men-of-war  laid  up  in  the  St.  Lawrence.  This  force  was  under  the  command 
of  Capt.  Douglass  of  the  frigate  "Isis."  The  Americans,  on  the  contrary, 
had  manned  their  fleet  with  recruits  from  the  army ;  and  the  forces  were 
under  the  command  of  an  army-officer,  Gen.  Benedict  Arnold,  the  story  of 
whose  later  treachery  is  familiar  to  every  American.  It  was  late  in  October 
that  the  two  hostile  fleets  met  in  deadly  conflict,  and  a  few  short  hours 
were  enough  to  prove  to  the  Americans  that  they  were  greatly  overmatched. 
Such  of  their  vessels  as  were  not  sunk  were  captured  and  burned  by  the 
enemy;  while  their  crews  escaped  into  the  woods,  and  ultimately  rejoined 
Arnold's  army,  from  which  they  had  been  drafted. 

We  pass  thus  hastily  over  the  so-called  naval  operations  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  because  they  were  properly  not  naval  operations  at  all,  but  merely 
incidents  in  the  shore  campaign.  The  fact  that  a  few  soldiers  hastily  build 
a  small  flotilla,  and  with  it  give  battle  to  an  enemy  on  the  water,  does  not 
in  any  sense  constitute  a  naval  battle. 

The  year  1777  witnessed  many  notable  naval  events.  Hostilities  along 
the  seaboard  became  more  lively.  New  vessels  were  put  into  commission. 
England  despatched  a  larger  naval  armament  to  crush  her  rebellious  colo< 
nies.  The  records  of  the  admiralty  show,  that  at  the  beginning  of  that  year 
Parliament  voted  to  the  navy  forty-five  thousand  men.  The  Americans 
were  able  to  array  against  this  huge  force  only  some  four  thousand,  scattered 
upon  thirteen  small  vessels-of-war. 


1 14  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


One  of  the  first  ships  to  get  to  sea  in  this  year  was  the  "  Randolph  : " 
a  new  frigate  commanded  by  Nicholas  Biddle,  who  thus  early  in  the  war 
had  won  the  confidence  of  the  people  and  the  naval  authorities.  In  com 
mand  of  the  little  cruiser  "Andrea  Doria,"  Biddle  had  cruised  off  the  coast 
of  Newfoundland  in  1776.  His  success  upon  that  cruise  has  already  been 
noted. 

Biddle  was  a  man  possessing  to  the  fullest  degree  that  primary 
qualification  of  a  good  naval  officer, — an  indomitable  will.  In  illustration 
of  his  determination,  a  story  is  related  concerning  an  incident  that 
occurred  just  as  the  "Andrea  Doria"  had  left  the  Capes  of  the  Delaware. 
Two  of  her  crew  had  deserted,  and,  being  apprehended  by  the  authorities 
on  shore,  were  lodged  in  Lewistown  jail.  But  the  sheriff  and  his  deputies 
found  it  easier  to  turn  the  key  on  the  fugitive  tars,  than  to  keep  them 
in  control  while  they  lay  in  durance  vile.  Gathering  all  the  benches, 
chairs,  and  tables  that  lay  about  the  jail, — for  the  lockup  of  those  days 
was  not  the  trim  affair  of  steel  and  iron  seen  to-day, — the  unrepentant 
jackies  built  for  themselves  a  barricade,  and,  snugly  entrenched  behind 
it,  shouted  out  bold  defiance  to  any  and  all  who  should  come  to  take 
them.  The  jail  authorities  had  committed  the  foolish  error  of  neglecting 
to  disarm  the  prisoners  when  they  were  captured ;  and,  as  each  had  a 
brace  of  ugly  pistols  in  his  belt,  the  position  of  the  two  behind  their 
barricade  was  really  one  of  considerable  strength.  The  prison  officials 
dared  not  attempt  to  dislodge  the  warlike  tars.  The  militia  company  of 
the  town  was  ordered  to  the  scene,  but  even  this  body  of  soldiery  dared 
not  force  the  prison  door.  Accordingly  they  determined  to  let  time  do 
the  work,  and  starve  the  rogues  out  of  their  retreat.  At  this  juncture 
Capt.  Biddle  came  ashore.  He  had  no  intention  of  letting  his  trim  ship 
lie  idly  in  the  offing  while  two  mutinous  blue-jackets  were  slowly  starved 
into  subjection.  The  "Andrea  Doria"  needed  the  men,  and  there  must 
be  no  more  delay.  A  captain  in  the  American  navy  was  not  to  be  defied 
by  two  of  his  own  people. 

Therefore,  seizing  a  loaded  pistol  in  each  hand,  Capt.  Biddle  walked 
to  the  prison,  accompanied  only  by  a  young  midshipman.  As  the  two 
pounded  upon  the  heavy  barred  door,  the  crowd  outside  fell  back, 
expecting  the  bullets  to  fly. 

"Open  this  door,  Green,"  shouted  Biddle  to  one  of  the  prisoners, 
whom  he  knew  by  name. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  1 15 

"Try  to  open  it  yourself,"  came  the  reply  fr on i  within,  with  an  accom 
panying  oath.  "The  first  man  that  shows  his  bead  inside  this  door  gets 
a  bullet." 

Green  was  known  as  a  bold,  desperate  man ;  but  Biddle  did  not 
hesitate  a  moment.  Ordering  the  bystanders  to  break  down  the  door, 
he  waited  quietly,  until  a  crash,  and  the  sudden  scattering  of  the  crowd, 
gave  notice  that  the  way  into  the  prison  was  clear.  Then  gripping  his 
pistols  tightly,  but  v/ich  his  arms  hanging  loosely  at  his  sides,  he 
advanced  upon  the  deserters.  Behind  the  barricade  stood  Green,  his 
eyes  blazing  with  rage,  his  pistol  levelled.  Biddle  faced  him  quietly. 

"Now,  Green,  if  you  don't  take  a  good  aim,  you  are  a  dead  man," 
5aid  he. 

With  a  muttered  curse,  the  mutineer  dropped  his  weapon.  The  cool 
determination  of  the  captain  ?.w<?a  him.  In  a  few  minutes  he,  with  his 
companion,  was  on  his  way  to  the  ship  in  irons. 

It  was  in  February,  1777,  that  the  stanch  new  frigate  "Randolph/" 
with  Biddle  in  command,  set  sail  from  Philadelphia.  Hardly  had  she 
reached  the  high  seas  when  a  terrific  gale  set  in,  from  which  the 
"Randolph"  emerged,  shorn  of  her  tapering  masts.  As  she  lay  a  help- 
Jess  wreck  tossing  on  the  waves,  the  hard  work  necessary  to  put  her  in 
iecent  shape  again  induced  Biddle  to  accede  to  the  request  of  a  number 
Df  British  prisoners  on  board,  who  wished  to  be  enrolled  among  the 
crew  of  the  "Randolph."  This  proved  to  be  an  unfortunate  move;  for 
the  Englishmen  were  no  sooner  enrolled  on  the  ship's  list  than  they 
began  plotting  mutiny,  and  the  uprising  reached  such  a  stage  that 
they  assembled  on  the  gun-deck,  and  gave  three  cheers.  But  the  firm 
and  determined  stand  of  the  captain  and  his  officers  overawed  the 
mutineers,  and  they  returned  to  their  places  after  the  ringleaders  had 
been  made  to  suffer  at  the  gratings.  But  the  spirit  of  disaffection  rife 
amid  his  crew,  and  the  crippled  condition  of  his  ship,  determined  Biddle 
to  proceed  forthwith  to  Charleston  to  refit. 

But  a  few  days  were  spent  in  port.  Getting  to  sea  again,  the 
"Randolph"  fell  in  with  the  "True  Briton,"  a  twenty-gun  ship,  flying 
the  British  colors.  Though  the  captain  of  the  "  True  Briton  "  had  often 
boasted  of  what  he  would  do  should  he  encounter  the  "  Randolph,"  his 
courage  then  failed  him,  and  he  fled.  The  "  Randolph  "  gave  chase,  and, 


Il6  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


proving  to  be  a  speedy  ship,  soon  overhauled  the  prize,  which  struck 
without  waiting  for  a  volley.  Three  other  vessels  that  had  been  cruising 
with  the  "True  Briton"  were  also  captured,  and  with  her  rich  prizes 
the  "Randolph"  returned  proudly  to  Charleston.  Here  her  usefulness 
ceased  for  a  time ;  for  a  superior  force  of  British  men-of-war  appeared  off 
the  harbor,  and  by  them  the  "  Randolph  "  was  blockaded  for  the  remainder 
of  the  season. 

Early  in  1778  Biddle  again  took  the  sea  with  the  "Randolph," 
supported  this  time  by  four  small  vessels,  fitted  out  by  the  South  Carolina 
authorities.  They  were  the  "Gen.  Moultrie,"  eighteen  guns  ;  the  "Polly," 
sixteen;  the  "Notre  Dame,"  sixteen;  and  the  "Fair  American,"  sixteen. 
With  this  force  Capt.  Biddle  set  out  in  search  of  a  British  squadron  known 
to  be  cruising  thereabouts,  and  probably  the  same  vessels  that  had  kept 
him  a  prisoner  during  so  much  of  the  previous  year. 

On  the  7th  of  March,  1778,  the  lookouts  on  the  smaller  vessels  saw 
a  signal  thrown  out  from  the  masthead  of  the  "  Randolph,"  which 
announced  a  sail  in  sight.  Chase  was  at  once  given ;  and  by  four  o'clock 
she  was  near  enough  for  the  Americans  to  see  that  she  was  a  large  ship, 
and  apparently  a  man-of-war.  About  eight  o'clock  the  stranger  was 
near  enough  the  squadron  for  them  to  make  out  that  she  was  a  heavy 
frigate. 

The  Englishman  was  not  slow  to  suspect  the  character  of  the  vessels 
with  which  he  had  fallen  in,  and  firing  a  shot  across  the  bows  of  the 
"  Moultrie,"  demanded  her  name. 

"The  'Polly'  of  New  York,"  was  the  response. 

Leaving  the  "  Moultrie  "  unmolested,  the  stranger  ranged  up  alongside 
the  "  Randolph,"  and  ordered  her  to  show  her  colors.  This  Biddle 
promptly  did ;  and  as  the  American  flag  went  fluttering  to  the  fore,  th& 
ports  of  the  "Randolph"  were  thrown  open,  and  a  broadside  poured  into 
the  hull  of  the  Englishman.  The  stranger  was  not  slow  in  replying,  and 
the  action  became  hot  and  deadly.  Capt.  Biddle  was  wounded  in  the 
thigh  early  in  the  battle.  As  he  fell  to  the  deck,  his  officers  crowded 
about  him,  thinking  that  he  was  killed ;  but  he  encouraged  them  to  return 
to  their  posts,  and,  ordering  a  chair  to  be  placed  on  the  quarter-deck, 
remained  on  deck,  giving  orders,  and  cheering  on  his  men.  It  is  said 
that  Capt.  Biddle  was  wounded  by  a  shot  from  the  "Moultrie,"  which 
flew  wide  of  its  intended  mark. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  1 17 

For  twenty  minutes  the  battle  raged,  and  there  was  no  sign  of 
weakening  on  the  part  of  either  contestant.  Suddenly  the  sound  of  the 
cannonade  was  deadened  by  a  thunderous  roar.  The  people  on  the  other 
ships  saw  a  huge  column  of  fire  and  smoke  rise  where  the  "  Randolph  " 
had  floated.  The  English  vessel  was  thrown  violently  on  her  beam-ends. 
The  sky  was  darkened  with  flying  timbers  and  splinters,  which  fell 
heavily  into  the  sea.  The  "  Randolph "  had  blown  up.  A  spark,  a  red- 
hot  shot,  some  fiery  object,  had  penetrated  her  magazine,  and  she  was 
annihilated. 

The  horrible  accident  which  destroyed  the  "  Randolph "  came  near 
being  the  end  of  the  "  Yarmouth,"  her  antagonist.  The  two  battling 
ships  were  close  together ;  so  close,  in  fact,  that  after  the  explosion  Capt. 
Morgan  of  the  "Fair  American"  hailed  the  "Yarmouth"  to  ask  how 
Capt.  Biddle  was.  The  English  ship  was  fairly  covered  with  bits  of  the 
flying  wreck.  Some  heavy  pieces  of  timber  falling  from  the  skies  badly 
shattered  her  main-deck.  An  American  ensign,  closely  rolled  up,  fell  on 
her  forecastle,  not  even  singed  by  the  fiery  ordeal  through  which  it  had 
passed. 

The  "Yarmouth"  wasted  little  time  in  wonder  over  the  fate  of  her 
late  antagonist.  In  all  the  mass  of  floating  wreckage  that  covered  the 
sea,  there  appeared  to  be  no  living  thing.  The  four  smaller  American 
vessels,  dismayed  by  the  fate  of  their  consort,  were  making  good  their 
escape.  Without  more  ado,  the  "  Yarmouth  "  set  out  in  chase. 

Four  days  later,  the  Americans  having  escaped,  the  "  Yarmouth  "  was 
again  cruising  near  the  scene  of  the  action.  A  raft  was  discovered  on 
the  ocean,  which  seemed  to  support  some  living  creatures.  Running 
down  upon  it,  four  wretched,  emaciated  men  were  discovered  clinging  to 
a  piece  of  wreckage,  and  wildly  waving  for  assistance.  They  were  taken 
aboard  the  British  man-of-war,  and  given  food  and  drink,  of  both  of 
which  they  partook  greedily;  for  their  sole  sustenance  during  the  four 
days  for  which  they  clung  to  their  frail  raft  was  rain-water  sucked  from 
a  piece  of  blanket. 

So  died  Capt.  Nicholas  Biddle,  blown  to  atoms  by  the  explosion  of 
his  ship  in  the  midst  of  battle.  Though  but  a  young  officer,  not  having 
completed  his  twenty-seventh  year,  he  left  an  enduring  name  in  the 
naval  annals  of  his  country.  Though  his  service  was  short,  the  fame  he 
won  was  great. 


Il8  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

Among  the  more  notable  commanders  who  did  good  service  on  the 
sea  was  Capt.  Samuel  Tucker,  who  was  put  in  command  of  the  frigate 
"Boston"  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1777.  Tucker  was  an  old  and 
tried  seaman,  and  is  furthermore  one  of  the  most  picturesque  figures  in 
the  naval  history  of  the  Revolution.  He  first  showed  his  love  for  the 
sea  in  the  way  that  Yankee  boys  from  time  immemorial  have  shown  it, 
—  by  running  away  from  home,  and  shipping  as  a  cabin-boy.  The  ship 
which  he  chose  was  the  British  sloop-of-war  "  Royal  George,"  and  the 
boy  found  himself  face  to  face  with  the  rigid  naval  discipline  of  the 
British  service  at  that  time.  But  he  stuck  manfully  to  the  career  he 
had  chosen,  and  gradually  mastered  not  only  the  details  of  a  seaman's 
duty,  but  much  of  the  art  of  navigation  ;  so  that  when  finally  he  got  his 
discharge  from  the  "  Royal  George,"  he  shipped  as  second  mate  on  a 
Salem  merchantman.  It  was  on  his  first  voyage  in  this  capacity  that  he 
first  showed  the  mettle  that  was  in  him.  Two  Algerine  corsairs,  their 
decks  crowded  with  men,  their  long  low  hulls  cleaving  the  waves  like 
dolphins,  had  given  chase  to  the  merchantman.  The  captain  of  the 
threatened  ship  grew  faint-hearted :  he  sought  courage  in  liquor,  and  soon 
became  unable  to  manage  his  vessel.  Tucker  took  the  helm.  He  saw 
that  there  was  no  chance  of  escape  in  flight,  for  the  corsairs  were  too 
fleet.  There  was  no  hope  of  victory  in  a  battle,  for  the  pirates  were 
too  strong.  But  the  trim  New  England  schooner  minded  her  helm  better 
than  her  lanteen-rigged  pursuers,  and  this  fact  Tucker  put  to  good 
account. 

Putting  his  helm  hard  down,  he  headed  the  schooner  directly  for  the 
piratical  craft.  By  skilful  manoeuvring,  he  secured  such  a  position  that 
either  pirate,  by  firing  upon  him,  was  in  danger  of  firing  into  his  fellow 
corsair.  This  position  he  managed  to  maintain  until  nightfall,  when  he 
slipped  away,  and  by  daylight  was  snugly  at  anchor  in  the  port  of 
Lisbon. 

For  some  time  after  this  episode,  the  record  of  Tucker's  seafaring 
life  is  lost.  Certain  it  is  that  he  served  in  the  British  navy  as  an  officer 
for  some  time,  and  was  master  of  a  merchantman  for  several  years. 

When  the  Revolution  broke  out,  Samuel  Tucker  was  in  London. 
Being  offered  by  a  recruiting  officer  a  commission  in  either  the  army  or 
navy,  if  he  would  consent  to  serve  "his  gracious  Majesty,"  Tucker  very 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  IT9 

rashly  responded,  "Hang  his  gracious    Majesty!     Do   you   think  I  would 
serve  against  my  country?" 

Soon  a  hue  and  cry  was  out  for  Tucker.  He  was  charged  with 
treason,  and  fled  into  the  country  to  the  house  of  a  tavern-keeper  whom 
he  knew,  who  sheltered  him  until  he  could  make  his  escape  from 
England. 

Hardly  had  he  arrived  in  America,  when  Gen.  Washington  commis 
sioned  him  captain  of  the  "  Franklin,"  and  instructed  him  to  proceed 
directly  to  sea.  An  express  with  the  commission  and  instructions  was 
hurried  off  to  Marblehead,  then  a  straggling  little  city.  He  was 
instructed  to  find  the  "Hon.  Samuel  Tucker,"  and  to  deliver  to  him  the 
packets  in  his  charge.  When  the  messenger  arrived,  Tucker  was  work 
ing  in  his  yard.  The  messenger  saw  a  rough-looking  person,  roughly 
clad,  with  a  tarpaulin  hat,  and  his  neck  bound  with  a  flaming  red 
bandanna  handkerchief.  Never  once  thinking  this  person  could  be  the 
man  he  sought,  he  leaned  from  his  horse,  and  shouted  out  roughly,  — 

"I  say,  fellow,  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  whether  the  Hon.  Samuel 
Tucker  lives  hereabouts." 

Tucker  looked  up  with  a  quizzical  smile,  and  surveyed  the  speaker 
from  under  the  wide  rim  of  his  tarpaulin,  as  he  answered,  — 

"  Honorable,  honorable !  There's  none  of  that  name  in  Marblehead. 
He  must  be  one  of  the  Tuckers  in  Salem.  I'm  the  only  Samuel  Tucker 
here." 

"Capt.  Glover  told  me  he  knew  him,"  responded  the  messenger, 
"and  described  his  house,  gable-end  on  the  seaside,  none  near  it.  Faith, 
this  looks  like  the  very  place !  " 

With  a  laugh,  Tucker  then  confessed  his  identity,  and  asked  the 
messenger  his  business.  Receiving  the  commission  and  instructions,  he 
at  once  began  his  preparations  for  leaving  home,  and  at  daybreak  the 
next  morning  was  on  his  way  to  Beverly,  where  lay  anchored  the  first 
ship  he  was  to  command  in  the  service  of  his  country. 

In  the  "Franklin"  Capt.  Tucker  did  some  most  efficient  work.  His 
name  appears  constantly  in  the  letters  of  Gen.  Washington,  and  in  the 
State  papers  making  up  the  American  archives,  as  having  sent  in  valua 
ble  prizes.  At  one  time  we  read  of  the  capture  of  "a  brigantine  from 
Scotland,  worth  fifteen  thousand  pounds  sterling ; "  again,  of  six  gun-boats, 


120  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

and  of  brigs  laden  with  wine  and  fruit.  During  the  year  1776,  he  took 
not  less  than  thirty  —  and  probably  a  few  more  —  ships,  brigs,  and  smaller 
vessels.  Nor  were  all  these  vessels  taken  without  some  sharp  fighting. 

Of  one  battle  Tucker  himself  speaks  in  one  of  his  letters.  First 
telling  how  his  wife  made  the  colors  for  his  ship,  "the  field  of  which 
was  white,  and  the  union  was  green,  made  of  cloth  of  her  own  purchasing, 
and  at  her  own  expense,"  he  goes  on  to  write  of  one  of  his  battles:  — 

"  Those  colors  I  wore  in  honor  of  the  country,  —  which  has  so  nobly 
rewarded  me  for  my  past  services, — and  the  love  of  their  maker,  until 
I  fell  in  with  Col.  Archibald  Campbell  in  the  ship  "George,"  and  brig 
"  Arabella,"  transports  with  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  Highland 
troops  on  board,  of  Gen.  Frazer's  corps.  About  ten  P.M.  a  severe  conflict 
ensued,  which  held  about  two  hours  and  twenty  minutes.  I  conquered 
them  with  great  carnage  on  their  side,  it  being  in  the  night,  and  my 
small  bark,  about  seventy  tons  burden,  being  very  low  in  the  water,  I 
received  no  damage  in  loss  of  men,  but  lost  a  complete  set  of  new  sails 
by  the  passing  of  their  balls ;  then  the  white  field  and  pine-tree  union 
were  riddled  to  atoms.  I  was  then  immediately  supplied  with  a  new  suit 
of  sails,  and  a  new  suit  of  colors,  made  of  canvas  and  bunting  of  my 
own  prize-goods," 

Another  time,  during  the  same  year,  Tucker  took  two  British  ships 
near  Marblehead.  So  near  was  the  scene  of  action  to  the  house  of  Capt. 
Tucker,  that  his  wife  and  her  sister,  hearing  the  sound  of  cannonading, 
ascended  a  high  hill  in  the  vicinity,  and  from  that  point  viewed  the 
action  through  a  spy-glass. 

Capt.  Tucker  kept  the  sea  in  the  "  Franklin  "  until  late  in  the  winter. 
When  finally  the  cold  weather  and  high  winds  forced  him  to  put  his 
ship  out  of  commission,  he  went  to  his  home  at  Marblehead.  He 
remained  there  but  a  short  time;  for  in  March,  1777,  he  was  put  in 
command  of  the  "Boston,"  a  frigate  of  twenty-four  guns.  In  this  vessel 
he  cruised  during  the  year  with  varying  success. 

Feb.  10,  1778,  Capt.  Tucker  was  ordered  to  carry  the  Hon.  John 
Adarns  to  France,  as  envoy  from  the  United  States.  The  voyage  was 
full  of  incidents.  Feeling  impressed  with  the  gravity  of  the  charge  laid 
upon  him,  Capt.  Tucker  chose  a  course  which  he  hoped  would  enable 
him  to  steer  clear  of  the  horde  of  British  men-of-war  which  then  infested 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


the  American  coast.  But  in  so  doing  he  fell  in  with  a  natural  enemy, 
which  came  near  proving  fatal.  A  terrific  thunderstorm,  gradually  growing 
into  a  tornado,  crossed  the  path  of  the  ship.  The  ocean  was  lashed  into 
waves  mountain  high.  The  crash  of  the  thunder  rent  the  sky.  A  stroke 
of  lightning  struck  the  main-mast,  and  ripped  up  the  deck,  narrowly  miss 
ing  the  magazine.  The  ship  sprung  a  leak  ;  and  the  grewsome  sound  of 
the  pumps  mingled  with  the  roar  of  the  waves,  and  the  shrieking  of  the 
winds.  For  several  days  the  stormy  weather  continued.  Then  followed 
a  period  of  calm,  which  the  captain  well  employed  in  repairing  the  rigging, 
and  exercising  the  men  with  the  guns  and  small-arms.  Many  ships  had 
been  sighted,  and  some,  evidently  men-of-war,  had  given  chase  ;  but  the 
"  Boston  "  succeeded  in  showing  them  all  a  clean  pair  of  heels. 

"What  would  you  do,"  said  Mr.  Adams  one  day,  as  he  stood  with  the 
captain  watching  three  ships  that  were  making  desperate  efforts  to  overhaul 
the  "Boston,"  "if  you  could  not  escape,  and  they  should  attack  you?" 

"As  the  first  is  far  in  advance  of  the  others,  I  should  carry  her  by 
boarding,  leading  the  boarders  myself,"  was  the  response.  "  I  should  take 
her;  for  no  doubt  a  majority  of  her  crew,  being  pressed  men,  would  turn 
to  and  join  me.  Having  taken  her,  I  should  be  matched,  and  could  fight 
the  other  two." 

Such  language  as  this  coming  from  many  men  would  be  considered 
mere  foolhardy  boasting.  But  Tucker  was  a  man  not  given  to  brag. 
Indeed,  he  was  apt  to  be  very  laconic  in  speaking  of  his  exploits.  A  short 
time  after  his  escape  from  the  three  ships,  he  fell  in  with  an  English  armed 
vessel  of  no  small  force,  and  captured  her.  His  only  comment  on  the 
action  in  his  journal  reads,  "I  fired  a  gun,  and  they  returned  three;  and 
down  went  the  colors." 

John  Adams,  however,  told  a  more  graphic  story  of  this  capture. 
Tucker,  as  soon  as  he  saw  an  armed  vessel  in  his  path,  hastily  called  his 
crew  to  order,  and  bore  down  upon  her.  When  the  roll  of  the  drum,  calling 
the  people  to  quarters,  resounded  through  the  ship,  Mr.  Adams  seized 
a  musket,  and  took  his  stand  with  the  marines.  Capt.  Tucker,  seeing  him 
there,  requested  him  to  go  below,  and  upon  his  desire  being  disregarded, 
put  his  hand  upon  the  envoy's  shoulder,  and  in  a  tone  of  authority  said,  — 

"  Mr.  Adams,  I  am  commanded  by  the  Continental  Congress  to  deliver 
you  safe  in  France,  and  you  must  go  below." 


122  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

The  envoy  smilingly  complied,  and  just  at  that  moment  the  enemy  let 
fly  her  broadside.  The  shot  flew  through  the  rigging,  doing  but  little 
damage.  Though  the  guns  of  the  "  Boston  "  were  shotted,  and  the  gunners 
stood  at  their  posts  with  smoking  match-stocks,  Capt.  Tucker  gave  no  order 
to  fire,  but  seemed  intent  upon  the  manoeuvres  of  the  ships.  The  eager 
blue-jackets  begun  to  murmur,  and  the  chorus  of  questions  and  oaths  was 
soon  so  great  that  the  attention  of  Tucker  was  attracted.  He  looked  at 
the  row  of  eager  faces  on  the  gun-deck,  and  shouted  out,  — 

"  Hold  on,  my  men !  I  wish  to  save  that  egg  without  breaking  the 
shell." 

Soon  after,  Tucker  brought  his  broadside  to  bear  on  the  stern  of  the 
enemy,  and  she  struck  without  more  ado.  She  proved  to  be  an  armed  ship, 
the  "Martha." 

After  this  encounter,  nothing  more  of  moment  occurred  on  the  voyage ; 
and  the  "Boston"  reached  Bordeaux,  and  landed  her  distinguished  passenger 
in  safety.  Two  months  later  she  left  Bordeaux,  in  company  with  a  fleet 
of  twenty  sail,  one  of  which  was  the  "  Ranger,"  formerly  commanded  by 
Paul  Jones.  With  these  vessels  he  cruised  for  a  time  in  European  waters, 
but  returned  to  the  American  coast  in  the  autumn.  His  services  for  the 
rest  of  that  year,  and  the  early  part  of  1779,  we  must  pass  over  hastily, 
though  *many  were  the  prizes  that  fell  into  his  clutches. 

Many  anecdotes  are  told  of  Tucker.  His  shrewdness,  originality,  and 
daring  made  him  a  favorite  theme  for  story-tellers.  But,  unhappily,  the 
anecdotes  have  generally  no  proof  of  their  truth.  One  or  two,  however,  told 
by  Capt.  Tucker's  biographer,  Mr.  John  H.  Sheppard,  will  not  be  out  of 
place  here. 

In  one  the  story  is  told  that  Tucker  fell  in  with  a  British  frigate 
which  he  knew  to  be  sent  in  search  of  him.  Showing  the  English  flag, 
he  sailed  boldly  towards  the  enemy,  and  in  answer  to  her  hail  said  he 
was  Capt.  Gordon  of  the  English  navy,  out  in  search  of  the  "  Boston," 
commanded  by  the  rebel  Tucker. 

"I'll  carry  him  to  New  York,  dead  or  alive,"  said  Tucker. 

"  Have  you  seen  him  ? "  was  asked. 

"Well,  I've  heard  of  him,"  was  the  response;  "and  they  say  he  is  a 
hard  customer." 

All    this    time    Tucker   had    been    manoeuvring    to    secure    a    raking 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  123 

position.  Behind  the  closed  ports  of  the  "  Boston,"  the  men  stood  at 
their  guns,  ready  for  the  word  of  command.  Just  as  the  American  had 
secured  the  position  desired,  a  sailor  in  the  tops  of  the  British  vessel 
cried  out,  — 

"That  is  surely  Tucker;  we  shall  have  a  devil  of  a  smell  directly." 

Hearing  this,  Tucker  ordered  the  American  flag  hoisted,  and  the 
ports  thrown  open.  Hailing  his  astonished  foe,  he  cried,  — 

"  The  time  I  proposed  talking  with  you  is  ended.  This  is  the  '  Boston,' 
frigate.  I  am  Samuel  Tucker,  but  no  rebel.  Fire,  or  strike  your  flag." 

The  Englishman  saw  he  had  no  alternative  but  to  strike.  This  he 
did  without  firing  a  gun.  The  vessel,  though  not  named  in  the  anecdote, 
was  probably  the  "  Pole,"  of  the  capture  of  which  Tucker  frequently 
speaks  in  his  letters. 

Of  the  part  Tucker  played  in  the  siege  of  Charleston,  of  his  capture 
there  by  the  British,  and  of  his  exchange,  we  shall  speak  later.  At  that 
disaster  four  American  frigates  were  lost :  so  many  of  the  best  naval 
officers  were  thrown  out  of  employment.  Among  them  was  Tucker ;  but 
ever  anxious  for  active  service,  he  obtained  the  sloop-of-war  "Thorn," 
which  he  himself  had  captured,  and  went  out  as  a  privateer.  In  this 
vessel  he  saw  some  sharp  service.  One  engagement  was  thus  described 
to  Mr.  Sheppard  by  a  marine  named  Everett  who  was  on  board  :  — 

"We  had  been  cruising  about  three  weeks  when  we  fell  in  with  an 
English  packet  of  twenty-two  guns  and  one  hundred  men.  Not  long 
after  she  was  discovered,  the  commodore  called  up  his  crew,  and  said, 
'She  means  to  fight  us;  and  if  we  go  alongside  like  men,  she  is  ours  in 
thirty  minutes,  but  if  we  can't  go  as  men  we  have  no  business  here.' 
He  then  told  them  he  wanted  no  cowards  on  deck,  and  requested  those 
who  were  willing  to  fight  to  go  down  the  starboard,  and  those  who  were 
unwilling  the  larboard  gangway.  Every  man  and  boy  took  the  first, 
signifying  his  willingness  to  meet  the  enemy. 

"  As  Mr.  Everett  was  passing  by,  the  commodore  asked  him,  — 

"'Are  you  willing  to  go  alongside  of  her?' 

"  '  Yes,  sir,'  was  the  reply. 

"In  mentioning  this  conversation,  however,  Mr.  Everett  candidly 
confessed,  '  I  did  not  tell  him  the  truth,  for  I  would  rather  have  been 
in  my  father's  cornfield.' 


124  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

"  After  the  commanders  of   these  two  vessels,  as  they  drew  near,  had 
hailed  each  other  in  the  customary  way  when  ships  meet  at  sea,  the  captain 
of  the  English  packet  cried  out  roughly  from  the  quarter-deck,  — 
-'"Haul  down  your  colors,  or  I'll  sink  you!' 

"( Ay,  ay,  sir  ;  directly,'  answered  Tucker  calmly.     And  he  then  ordered 
the  helmsman  to  steer  the  *  Thorn'  right  under  the  stern  of  the  packet, 
luff  up  under  her  lee  quarters,  and  range  alongside  of  her.     The  order  was 
promptly  executed.     The  two  vessels  were  laid   side  by  side,  within  pistol 
shot    of    each    other.     While  the  '  Thorn '  was    getting   into    position,  the 
enemy  fired  a  full  broadside  at  her  which  did  but  little  damage.     As  soon 
as  she  was  brought  completely  alongside  her  adversary,  Tucker  thundered 
out  to  his  men  to  fire,  and  a  tremendous  discharge  followed  ;  and,  as  good 
aim  had  been  taken,  a  dreadful  carnage  was  seen  in  that  ill-fated  vessel. 
It  was  rapidly  succeeded  by  a  fresh  volley  of  artillery,  and  in  twenty-seven 
minutes  a  piercing  cry  was  heard  from  the  English  vessel :  '  Quarters,  for 
God's  sake  !     Our  ship  is  sinking.     Our  men  are  dying  of  their  wounds.' 
"  To  this  heart-rending  appeal  Capt.  Tucker  exclaimed,  — 
" '  How  can  you  expect  quarters  while  that  British  flag  is  flying  ? ' 
"  The  sad  answer  came  back,  '  Our  halliards  are  shot  away.' 
'"Then  cut  away  your  ensign  staff,  or  ye'll  all  be  dead  men.' 
"  It  was  done  immediately.     Down  came  the  colors,  the  din  of  cannon 
ading  ceased,  and  only  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying  were  heard. 

"  Fifteen  men,  with  carpenters,  surgeon,  and  their  leader,  were  quickly 
on  the  deck  of  the  prize.  Thirty-four  of  her  crew,  with  her  captain,  were 
either  killed  or  wounded.  Her  decks  were  besmeared  with  blood,  and  in 
some  places  it  stood  in  clotted  masses  to  the  tops  of  the  sailors'  slippers. 
The  gloomy  but  needful  work  of  amputating  limbs,  and  laying  out  the  dead, 
was  begun ;  and  every  effort  was  made  to  render  the  wounded  prisoners 
as  comfortable  as  possible." 

Here  we  must  take  leave  of  Commodore  Tucker  and  his  exploits.  As 
a  privateersman,  he  continued  to  do  daring  work  to  the  end  of  the  war.  He 
fought  at  least  one  more  bloody  action.  He  was  captured  once  and  escaped. 
But  the  recountal  of  his  romantic  career  must  now  yield  to  our  chronological 
survey  of  the  lesser  naval  events  of  the  Revolution. 


CHAPTER   XI. 


HOSTILITIES  IN  1777.  — AMERICAN  REVERSES.  —  THE 
BRITISH  IN  PHILADELPHIA.  — THE  ATTACK  UPON 
FORT  MIFFLIN.  — CRUISE  OF  THE  "RALEIGH" 
AND  THE  "  ALFRED."  —  TORPEDO  WARFARE.  — 
THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  KEGS. 


E  HAVE  now  heard   of   the  exploits  of   some   of   the   chief  naval 
leaders   of   the  war   of   the    Revolution.     But   there  were   many 
dashing   engagements   in  which   the   great  commanders  took  no 
part,  and  many  important  captures  made  by  vessels  sailing  under 
the  flags  of  the  individual  colonies,  which  deserve  attention. 

The  American  cause  on  the  water  suffered  some  rather  severe 
reverses  in  the  early  part  of  1777.  In  March,  the  brig  "Cabot"  fell  in 
with  the  British  frigate  "Milford,"  and  was  so  hard  pressed  that  she 
was  run  ashore  on  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia.  The  crew  had  hardly  time 
to  get  ashore  before  the  British  took  possession  of  the  stranded  craft. 
The  Americans  were  left  helpless,  in  a  wild  and  little  settled  country, 
but  finally  made  their  way  through  the  woods  to  a  harbor.  Here  they 
found  a  coasting  schooner  lying  at  anchor,  upon  which  they  promptly 
seized,  and  in  which  they  escaped  to  Portsmouth.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  British  had  got  the  "  Cabot "  afloat  again. 

Two  months  later,  or  in  the  early  part  of  May,  two  United  States 
vessels,  the  "Hancock"  thirty-two,  Capt.  Manly,  and  the  "Boston" 
twenty-four,  Capt.  Hector  McNeil,  sailed  in  company  from  Boston.  When 

125 


126  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

a  few  days  out,  a  strange  sail  was  sighted,  and  proved  to  be  a  British 
frigate.  The  "  Hancock "  soon  came  near  enough  to  her  to  exchange 
broadsides,  as  the  two  vessels  were  going  on  opposite  tacks.  The  enemy, 
however,  seemed  anxious  to  avoid  a  conflict,  and  exerted  every  effort  to 
lescape.  Manly,  having  great  confidence  in  the  speed  of  his  ship,  gave 
chase.  Calling  the  people  from  the  guns,  he  bade  them  make  a  leisurely 
breakfast,  and  get  ready  for  the  work  before  them.  The  "  Hancock" 
soon  overhauled  the  chase,  which  began  firing  her  guns  as  fast  as  they 
would  bear.  The  Americans,  however,  made  no  response  until  fairly 
alongside,  when  they  let  fly  a  broadside  with  ringing  cheers.  The  action 
lasted  for  an  hour  and  a  half  before  the  enemy  struck.  She  proved  to 
be  the  "Fox,"  twenty-eight.  She  was  badly  cut  up  by  the  American 
fire,  and  had  thirty-two  dead  and  wounded  men  on  board.  The  loss  on 
the  "  Hancock "  amounted  to  only  eight  men.  In  this  running  fight  the 
"Boston"  was  hopelessly  distanced,  coming  up  just  in  time  to  fire  a  gun 
as  the  British  ensign  came  fluttering  from  the  peak. 

Putting  a  prize  crew  on  the  "  Fox,"  the  three  vessels  continued  their 
cruise.  A  week  passed,  and  no  sail  was  seen.  Somewhat  rashly  Capt. 
Manly  turned  his  ship's  prow  toward  Halifax,  then,  as  now,  the  chief 
British  naval  station  on  the  American  coast.  When  the  three  ships 
appeared  off  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Halifax,  the  British  men-of- 
war  inside  quickly  spied  them,  raised  anchor,  and  came  crowding  out  in 
hot  pursuit.  There  was  the  "  Rainbow "  forty-four,  the  "  Flora "  thirty- 
two,  and  the  "Victor"  eighteen,  besides  two  others  whose  names  could 
not  be  ascertained.  The  Americans  saw  that  they  had  stirred  up  a  nest 
of  hornets,  and  sought  safety  in  flight.  The  three  British  vessels  whose 
names  are  given  gave  chase.  The  "  Boston,"  by  her  swift  sailing,  easily 
kept  out  of  the  reach  of  the  enemy.  The  "  Fox,"  however,  was  quickly 
overhauled  by  the  "  Flora,"  and  struck  her  flag  after  exchanging  a  few 
broadsides.  The  "Hancock"  for  a  time  seemed  likely  to  escape,  but  at 
last  the  "Rainbow"  began  gradually  to  overhaul  her.  Capt.  Manly, 
finding  escape  impossible,  began  manoeuvring  with  the  intention  of  board 
ing  his  powerful  adversary;  but  the  light  winds  made  this  impossible,  and 
he  suddenly  found  himself  under  the  guns  of  the  "Rainbow,"  with  the 
"Victor"  astern,  in  a  raking  position.  Seeing  no  hope  for  success  in  so 
unequal  a  conflict,  Manly  struck  his  flag.  In  the  mean  time  the  "  Boston  " 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  127 

h^d  calmly  proceeded  upon  her  way,  leaving  her  consorts  to  their  fate. 
For  having  thus  abandoned  his  superior  officer,  Capt.  McNeil  was 
dismissed  the  service  upon  his  return  to  Boston. 

These  losses  were  to  some  degree  offset  by  the  good  fortune  of  the 
"  Trumbull,"  twenty-eight,  in  command  of  Capt.  Saltonstall.  She  left 
New  York  in  April  of  this  year,  and  had  been  on  the  water  but  a  few  days 
when  she  fell  in  with  two  British  armed  vessels  of  no  inconsiderable  force. 
The  Englishmen,  confident  of  their  ability  to  beat  off  the  cruiser,  made  no 
effort  to  avoid  a  conflict.  Capt.  Saltonstall,  by  good  seamanship,  managed 
to  put  his  vessel  between  the  two  hostile  ships,  and  then  worked  both 
batteries  with  such  vigor,  that,  after  half-an-hour's  fighting,  the  enemy 
was  glad  to  strike.  In  this  action  the  Americans  lost  seven  men  killed,  and 
eight  wounded.  The  loss  of  the  enemy  was  not  reported.  This  capture 
was  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  American  cause,  for  the  two  prizes 
were  loaded  with  military  and  naval  stores. 

During  the  year  1777,  the  occupation  of  Philadelphia  by  the  British 
ttrmy,  under  Gen.  Howe,  led  to  some  activity  on  the  part  of  the  American 
navy.  While  Philadelphia  had  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Continentals, 
it  had  been  a  favorite  naval  rendezvous.  Into  the  broad  channel  of  the 
Delaware  the  American  cruisers  had  been  accustomed  to  retreat  when 
the  British  naval  force  along  the  coast  became  threateningly  active. 
At  the  broad  wharves  of  Philadelphia,  the  men-of-war  laid  up  to  have 
necessary  repairs  made.  In  the  rope-walks  of  the  town,  the  cordage  for 
the  gallant  Yankee  ships  was  spun.  In  the  busy  shipyards  along  the 
Delaware,  many  of  the  frigates,  provided  for  by  the  Act  of  1775,  were 
built. 

In  the  summer  of  1777  all  this  was  changed.  Sir  William  Howe,  at 
the  head  of  an  irresistible  army,  marched  upon  Philadelphia;  and,  defeating 
the  American  army  at  Brandywine,  entered  the  city  in  triumph.  The 
privateers  and  men-of-war  scattered  hastily,  to  avoid  capture.  Most  of  them 
fled  down  the  Delaware ;  but  a  few,  chiefly  vessels  still  uncompleted, 
ascended  the  river. 

To  cut  off  these  vessels,  the  British  immediately  commenced  the 
erection  of  batteries  to  command  the  channel  of  the  river,  and  prevent  any 
communication  between  the  American  vessels  above  and  below  Philadelphia. 
To  check  the  erection  of  these  batteries,  the  American  vessels  "  Delaware  " 


128  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

twenty-four,  and  "  Andrea  Doria "  fourteen,  together  with  one  or  two 
vessels  flying  the  Pennsylvania  flag,  took  up  a  position  before  the  incomplete 
earthworks,  and  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  soldiers  employed  in  the 
trenches.  So  accurate  was  the  aim  of  the  American  gunners,  that  work 
on  the  batteries  was  stopped.  But,  unluckily,  the  commander  of  the 
"  Delaware,"  Capt.  Alexander,  had  failed  to  reckon  on  the  swift  outflowing 
of  the  tide;  and  just  as  the  sailors  on  that  ship  were  becoming  jubilant  over 
the  prospect  of  a  victory,  a  mighty  quiver  throughout  the  ship  told  that 
she  had  been  left  on  a  shoal  by  the  ebb  tide.  The  enemy  was  not  long 
in  discovering  the  helpless  condition  of  the  "  Delaware;''  and  field-pieces 
and  siege-guns  were  brought  down  to  the  river-bank,  until  the  luckless 
Americans  saw  themselves  commanded  by  a  heavy  battery.  In  this 
unhappy  predicament  there  was  no  course  remaining  but  to  strike  their 
flag. 

Though  the  British  had  possession  of  Philadelphia,  and  virtually 
controlled  the  navigation  of  the  river  at  that  point,  the  Americans  still 
held  powerful  positions  at  Red  Bank  and  at  Fort  Miffiin,  lower  down  the 
river.  Against  the  former  post  the  British  sent  an  unsuccessful  land 
expedition  of  Hessians,  but  against  Fort  Mifflin  a  naval  expedition  was 
despatched. 

Fort  MifHin  was  built  on  a  low  marshy  island  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Schuylkill.  Its  very  situation,  surrounded  as  it  was  by  mud  and  water, 
made  it  impregnable  to  any  land  attack.  While  the  fort  itself  was  a  fairly 
strong  earthwork,  laid  out  upon  approved  principles  of  engineering,  its 
outer  works  of  defence  added  greatly  to  its  strength.  In  the  main  channels 
of  the  river  were  sunk  heavy,  sharp-pointed  chevanx  de  frise,  or  submarine 
palisades,  with  sharp  points  extending  just  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 
In  addition  to  this  obstacle,  the  enemy  advancing  by  water  upon  the  fort 
would  have  to  meet  the  American  flotilla,  which,  though  composed  of  small 
.craft  only,  was  large  enough  to  prove  very  annoying  to  an  enemy.  In 
this  flotilla  were  thirteen  galleys,  one  carrying  a  thirty-two  pounder,  and 
the  rest  with  varying  weight  of  ordnance ;  twenty-six  half-galleys,  each 
carrying  a  four-pounder ;  two  xebecs,  each  with  two  twenty-four-pounders  in 
the  bow,  two  eighteen-pounders  in  the  stern,  and  four  nine-pounders  in  the 
waist ;  two  floating  batteries,  fourteen  fire-ships,  one  schooner-galley,  one 
brig-galley,  one  provincial  ship,  and  the  brig  "Andrea  Doria."  It  was  no 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  129 


small  naval  force  that  the  British  had  to  overcome  before  attacking  the 
mud  ramparts  and  bastions  of  Fort  Mifflin. 

Against  this  armament  the  British  brought  a  number  of  vessels,  with 
the  "Augusta,"  sixty-four,  in  the  lead.  The  battle  was  begun  late  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  22d  of  October,  1777.  The  attack  of  the  Hessians  upon 
the  American  fortifications  at  Red  Bank,  and  the  opening  of  the  action 
between  the  British  and  American  fleets,  were  simultaneous.  The  Hessians 
were  beaten  back  with  heavy  loss,  some  of  the  American  vessels  opening 
lire  upon  them  from  the  river.  The  naval  battle  lasted  but  a  short  time 
that  night,  owing  to  the  darkness.  When  the  battle  ended  for  the  night, 
the  "  Augusta,"  and  the  "  Merlin,"  sloop-of-war,  were  left  hard  and  fast 
aground. 

The  next  morning  the  British  advanced  again  to  the  attack.  The 
skirmish  of  the  night  before  had  shown  them  that  the  Yankee  flotilla 
was  no  mean  adversary ;  and  they  now  brought  up  re-inforcements,  in  the 
shape  of  the  "Roebuck"  forty-four,  "  Isis "  thirty-two,  "Pearl"  thirty- 
two,  and  "  Liverpool "  twenty-eight.  No  sooner  had  the  British  squadron 
come  within  range  than  a  heavy  fire  was  opened  upon  the  fort.  The 
American  flotilla  was  prompt  to  answer  the  challenge,  and  soon  the  action 
became  general.  Time  and  time  again  the  Americans  sent  huge  fire- 
ships,  their  well-tarred  spars  and  rigging  blazing  fiercely,  down  among  the 
enemy.  But  the  skill  and  activity  of  the  British  sailors  warded  off  this 
danger.  Thereupon  the  Americans,  seeing  that  they  could  not  rely  upon 
their  fire-ships,  changed  their  plan  of  action.  Any  one  of  the  British 
vessels  was  more  than  a  match  for  the  largest  American  craft,  so  the 
Yankees  saw  they  must  rely  upon  force  of  numbers.  Accordingly  their 
larger  vessels  were  each  assigned  to  attack  one  of  the  enemy;  while  the 
swift-sailing  galleys  plied  to  and  fro  in  the  battle,  lending  aid  where 
needed,  and  striking  a  blow  wherever  the  opportunity  offered  itself. 
This  course  of  action  soon  began  to  tell  upon  the  British.  All  of  their 
vessels  began  to  show  the  effects  of  the  American  fire.  The  "Augusta" 
was  in  flames,  owing  to  some  pressed  hay  that  had  been  packed  upon 
her  quarter  having  been  set  on  fire.  Despite  the  efforts  of  her  crew, 
the  flames  spread  rapidly.  Seeing  no  chance  to  save  the  vessel,  the 
crew  abandoned  her,  and  sought  to  gain  the  protection  of  other  vessels 
of  the  British  fleet.  But  the  other  ships,  seeing  the  flames  on  the 


130  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

"  Augusta "  drawing  closer  and  closer  to  the  magazine,  and  knowing  that 
her  explosion  in  that  narrow  and  crowded  channel  would  work  dreadful 
damage  among  them,  determined  to  abandon  the  attack  upon  Fort 
Mifflin,  and  withdrew.  The  "Merlin,"  which  was  hard  and  fast  aground, 
was  fired,  and  the  British  fled.  As  they  turned  their  ships'  prows  down 
the  Delaware,  the  dull  sullen  roar  of  an  explosion  told  that  the  "Augusta" 
had  met  her  end.  Soon  after  the  "Merlin"  blew  up,  and  the  defeat  of 
the  British  was  complete. 

But,  though  worsted  in  this  attack  upon  Fort  Mifflin,  the  British  did 
not  wholly  abandon  their  designs  upon  it.  Immediately  upon  their 
repulse,  they  began  their  preparations  for  a  second  attack.  This  time 
they  did  not  propose  to  rely  upon  men-of-war  alone.  Batteries  were  built 
upon  every  point  of  land  within  range  of  Fort  Mifflin.  Floating  batteries 
were  built,  and  towed  into  position.  By  the  loth  of  November  all  was 
ready,  and  upon  that  day  a  tremendous  cannonade  was  opened  upon  the 
American  works.  After  two  days  of  ceaseless  bombardment,  the  garrison 
of  the  fort  was  forced  to  surrender.  Since  the  fall  of  Fort  Mifflin  gave 
the  control  of  the  Delaware  to  the  British,  the  Americans  immediately 
put  the  torch  to  the  "Andrea  Doria"  fourteen,  the  "Wasp"  eight,  and 
the  "  Hornet "  ten ;  while  the  galleys  skulked  away  along  the  Jersey 
coast,  in  search  of  places  of  retreat. 

While  the  Yankee  tars  on  river  and  harbor  duty  were  thus  getting 
their  share  of  fighting,  there  was  plenty  of  daring  work  being  done  on 
the  high  seas.  One  of  the  most  important  cruises  of  the  year  was  that 
of  the  "Raleigh"  and  the  "Alfred."  The  "Raleigh"  was  one  of  the 
twelve-pounder  frigates  built  under  the  naval  Act  of  1775.  With  her 
consort  the  "  Alfred,"  she  left  the  American  coast  in  the  summer  of 
1777,  bound  for  France,  in  search  of  naval  stores  that  were  there 
awaiting  transportation  to  the  United  States.  Both  vessels  were  short- 
handed. 

On  the  2cl  of  September  the  two  vessels  overhauled  and  captured 
the  snow  "Nancy,"  from  England,  bound  for  the  West  Indies.  Her 
captain  reported  that  he  had  sailed  from  the  West  Indies  with  a  fleet 
of  sixty  merchantmen,  under  the  convoy  of  four  small  men-of-war,  the 
"Camel,"  the  "Druid,"  the  "Weasel,"  and  the  "Grasshopper."  The 
poor  sailing  qualities  of  the  "Nancy"  had  forced  her  to  drop  behind, 
and  the  fleet  was  then  about  a  day  in  advance  of  her. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76.  13 J 

Crowding  on  all  canvas,  the  two  American  ships  set  out  in  hot 
pursuit.  From  the  captain  of  the  "Nancy"  Capt.  Thompson  of  the 
"  Raleigh "  had  obtained  all  the  signals  in  use  in  the  fleet  of  Indiamen. 
The  next  morning  the  fleet  was  made  out ;  and  the  "  Raleigh "  and  the 
"  Alfred "  exchanged  signals,  as  though  they  were  part  of  the  convoy. 
They  hung  about  the  outskirts  of  the  fleet  until  dark,  planning,  when 
the  night  should  fall,  to  make  a  dash  into  the  enemy's  midst,  and  cut 
out  the  chief  armed  vessel. 

But  at  nightfall  the  wind  changed,  so  that  the  plan  of  the  Americans 
was  defeated.  At  daylight,  however,  the  wind  veered  round  and  fresh 
ened,  so  that  the  "Raleigh,"  crowding  on  more  sail,  was  soon  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  enemy's  fleet.  The  "Alfred,"  unfortunately,  being 
unable  to  carry  so  great  a  spread  of  canvas,  was  left  behind ;  and  the 
"  Raleigh "  remained  to  carry  out  alone  her  daring  adventure. 

The  "Raleigh"  boldly  steered  straight  into  the  midst  of  the  British 
merchantmen,  exchanging  signals  with  some,  and  hailing  others.  Her 
ports  were  lowered,  and  her  guns  on  deck  housed,  so  that  there  appeared 
about  her  nothing  to  indicate  her  true  character.  Having  cruised  about 
amid  the  merchantmen,  she  drew  up  alongside  the  nearest  man-of-war, 
and  when  within  pistol-shot,  suddenly  ran  up  her  flag,  threw  open  hei 
ports,  and  commanded  the  enemy  to  strike. 

All  was  confusion  on  board  the  British  vessel.  Her  officers  had  never 
for  a  moment  suspected  the  "  Raleigh  "  of  being  other  than  one  of  their 
own  fleet.  While  they  stood  aghast,  not  even  keeping  the  vessel  on  het 
course,  the  "  Raleigh "  poured  in  a  broadside.  The  British  responded 
faintly  with  a  few  guns.  Deliberately  the  Americans  let  fly  anothei 
broadside,  which  did  great  execution.  The  enemy  were  driven  from  their 
guns,  but  doggedly  refused  to  strike,  holding  out,  doubtless,  in  the  hope 
that  the  cannonade  might  draw  to  their  assistance  some  of  the  other  armed 
ships  accompanying  the  fleet. 

While  the  unequal  combat  was  raging,  a  heavy  squall  came  rushing  over 
the  water.  The  driving  sheets  of  rain  shut  in  the  combatants,  and  only 
by  the  thunders  of  the  cannonade  could  the  other  vessels  tell  that  a  battle 
was  being  fought  in  their  midst. 

When  the  squall  had  passed  by,  the  affrighted  merchantmen  were  seen 
scudding  in  every  direction,  like  a  school  of  flying-fish  into  whose  midst 


132  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

some  rapacious  shark  or  dolphin  has  intruded  himself.  But  the  three 
men-of-war,  with  several  armed  West-Indiamen  in  their  wake,  were  fast 
bearing  down  upon  the  combatants,  with  the  obvious  intention  of  rescuing 
their  comrade,  and  punishing  the  audacious  Yankee. 

The  odds  against  Thompson  were  too  great;  and  after  staying  by  his 
adversary  until  the  last  possible  moment,  and  pouring  broadside  after 
broadside  into  her,  he  abandoned  the  fight  and  rejoined  the  "Alfred." 
The  two  ships  hung  on  the  flanks  of  the  fleet  for  some  days,  in  the  hopes 
of  enticing  two  of  the  men-of-war  out  to  join  in  battle.  But  all  was  to  no 
avail,  and  the  Americans  were  forced  to  content  themselves  with  the  scant 
glory  won  in  the  incomplete  action  of  the  "  Raleigh."  Her  adversary 
proved  to  be  the  "  Druid,"  twenty,  which  suffered  severely  from  the 
" Raleigh's"  repeated  broadsides,  having  six  killed,  and  twenty-six  wounded; 
of  the  wounded,  five  died  immediately  after  the  battle. 

It  was  during  the  year  1777  that  occurred  the  first  attempt  to  use 
gunpowder  in  the  shape  of  a  submarine  torpedo.  This  device,  which  to-day 
threatens  to  overturn  all  established  ideas  of  naval  organization  am 
architecture,  originated  with  a  clever  Connecticut  mechanic  named  David 
Bushnell.  His  invention  covered  not  only  submarine  torpedoes,  to  be 
launched  against  a  vessel,  but  a  submarine  boat  in  which  an  adventurous 
navigator  might  undertake  to  go  beneath  the  hull  of  a  man-of-war,  and  affix 
the  torpedoes,  so  that  failure  should  be  impossible.  This  boat  in  shape  was 
not  unlike  a  turtle.  A  system  of  valves,  air-pumps,  and  ballast  enabled 
the  operator  to  ascend  or  descend  in  the  water  at  will.  A  screw-propeller 
afforded  means  of  propulsion,  and  phosphorescent  gauges  and  compasses 
enabled  him  to  steer  with  some  accuracy. 

Preliminary  tests  made  with  this  craft  were  uniformly  successful. 
After  a  skilled  operator  had  been  obtained,  the  boat  perfectly  discharged 
the  duties  required  of  her.  But,  as  is  so  often  the  case,  when  the  time 
for  action  came  she  proved  inadequate  to  the  emergency.  Let  he. 
inventor  tell  the  story  in  his  own  words  :  — 

"  After  various  attempts  to  find  an  operator  to  my  wish,  I  sent  one, 
who  appeared  to  be  more  expert  than  the  rest,  from  New  York,  to  a 
fifty-gun  ship,  lying  not  far  from  Governor's  Island.  He  went  under  the 
ship,  and  attempted  to  fix  the  wooden  screw  to  her  bottom,  but  struck, 
as  he  supposes,  a  bar  of  iron,  which  passes  from  the  rudder  hinge,  and 
is  spiked  under  the  ship's  quarter.  Had  he  moved  a  few  inches,  which 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76.  133 

he  might  have  done  without  rowing,  I  have  no  doubt  he  would  have 
found  wood  where  he  might  have  fixed  the  screw ;  or,  if  the  ship  were 
sheathed  with  copper,  he  might  easily  have  pierced  it.  But  not  being 
well  skilled  in  the  management  of  the  vessel,  in  attempting  to  move  to 
another  place,  he  lost  the  ship.  After  seeking  her  in  vain  for  some 
time,  he  rowed  some  distance,  and  rose  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  but 
found  daylight  had  advanced  so  far  that  he  durst  not  renew  the  attempt. 
He  says  that  he  could  easily  have  fastened  the  magazine  under  the  stern 
of  the  ship  above  water,  as  he  rowed  up  to  the  stern  and  touched  it 
before  he  descended.  Had  he  fastened  it  there,  the  explosion  of  a 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  powder  (the  quantity  contained  in  the 
magazine)  must  have  been  fatal  to  the  ship.  In  his  return  from  the  ship 
to  New  York,  he  passed  near  Governor's  Island,  and  thought  he  was 
discovered  by  the  enemy  on  the  island.  Being  in  haste  to  avoid  the 
danger  he  feared,  he  cast  off  the  magazine,  as  he  imagined  it  retarded 
him  in  the  swell,  which  was  very  considerable.  After  the  magazine  had 
been  cast  off  one  hour,  the  time  the  internal  apparatus  was  set  to  run, 
it  blew  up  with  great  violence. 

"Afterwards  there  were  two  attempts  made  in  Hudson's  River,  above 
the  city;  but  they  effected  nothing.  One  of  them  was  by  the  afore 
mentioned  person.  In  going  toward  the  ship,  he  lost  sight  of  her,  and 
went  a  great  distance  beycnd  her.  When  he  at  length  found  her,  the 
tide  ran  so  strong,  that,  as  he  descended  under  water,  for  the  ship's 
bottom,  it  swept  him  away.  Scon  after  this,  the  enemv  went  up  the 
river,  and  pursued  the  boat  which  had  the  submarine  vessel  on  board, 
and  sunk  it  with  their  shot." 

So  it  appears,  that,  so  far  as  this  submarine  vessel  was  concerned, 
Bushnell's  great  invention  came  to  naught.  And,  indeed,  it  was  but  the 
first  of  a  long  line  of  experiments  which  have  been  terribly  costly  in 
human  life,  and  which  as  yet  have  not  been  brought  to  a  successful 
end.  In  every  war  there  comes  forward  the  inventor  with  the  submarine 
boat,  and  he  always  finds  a  few  brave  men  ready  to  risk  their  lives  in 
the  floating  coffin.  Somewhere  in  Charleston  Harbor  to-day  lies  a  sub 
marine  boat,  enclosing  the  skeletons  of  eight  men,  who  went  out  in  it 
to  break  the  blockade  of  the  port  during  the  civil  war.  And  although 
there  are  to-day  several  types  of  submarine  boat,  each  of  which  is 
claimed  to  make  practicable  the  navigation  of  the  ocean's  depths,  yet 


134  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

it  is  doubtful  whether  any  of  them  are  much  safer  than  Bushnell's 
primitive  "turtle." 

But  Bushnell's  experiments  in  torpedo  warfare  were  not  confined  to 
attempts  to  destroy  hostile  vessels  by  means  of  his  submarine  vessel. 
He  made  several  attacks  upon  the  enemy  by  means  of  automatic  tor 
pedoes,  none  of  which  met  with  complete  success.  One  of  these  attacks, 
made  at  Philadelphia  in  December,  1777,  furnished  the  incident  upon 
which  is  founded  the  well-known  ballad  of  the  "  Battle  of  the  Kegs." 

It  was  at  a  time  when  the  Delaware  was  filled  with  British  shipping, 
that  Bushnell  set  adrift  upon  its  swift-flowing  tide  a  number  of  small 
kegs,  filled  with  gunpowder,  and  provided  with  percussion  apparatus,  so 
that  contact  with  any  object  would  explode  them.  The  kegs  were 
started  on  their  voyage  at  night.  But  Bushnell  had  miscalculated  the 
distance  they  had  to  travel  ;  so  that,  instead  of  reaching  the  British 
fleet  under  cover  of  darkness,  they  arrived  early  in  the  morning.  Great 
was  the  wonder  of  the  British  sentries,  on  ship  and  shore,  to  see  the 
broad  bosom  of  the  river  dotted  with  floating  kegs.  As  the  author  of 
the  satirical  ballad  describes  it,  — 

"  'Twas  early  day,  as  poets  say, 
Just  as  the  sun  was  rising; 
A  soldier  stood  on  a  log  of  wood 
And  saw  the  sun  a-rising. 

As  in -amaze  he  stood  to  gaze 

(The  truth  can't  be  denied,  sir), 
He  spied  a  score  of  kegs,  or  more, 

Come  floating  down  the  tide,  sir. 

A  sailor,  too,  in  jerkin  blue, 

The  strange  appearance  viewing, 
First  d d  his  eyes  in  great  surprise, 

Then  said,  *  Some  mischief's  brewing.' 

These  kegs,  I'm  told,  the  rebels  hold, 

Packed  up  like  pickled  herring; 
And  they've  come  down  to  attack  the  town 

In  this  new  way  of  ferrying." 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  135 

The  curiosity  of  the  British  at  this  inexplicable  spectacle  gave  place 
to  alarm,  when  one  of  the  kegs,  being  picked  up,  blew  up  a  boat,  and 
seriously  injured  the  man  whose  curiosity  had  led  him  to  examine  it  too 
closely.  Half  panic-stricken,  the  British  got  out  their  guns,  great  and 
small;  and  all  day  every  small  object  on  the  Delaware  was  the  target 
for  a  lively  fusillade. 

"The  cannons  roar  from  shore  to  shore, 

The  small  arms  loud  did  rattle. 
Since  wars  began,  I'm  sure  no  man 
E'er  saw  so  strange  a  battle. 

The  fish  below  swam  to  and  fro, 

Attacked  from  every  quarter. 
4  Why  sure '  (thought  they),  *  the  devil's  to  pay, 

'Mong  folk  above  the  water.'  " 

But  in  the  end  the  kegs  all  floated  by  the  city,  and  only  the 
ammunition  stores  of  the  British  suffered  from  the  attack. 

Another  attempt  was  made  by  Bushnell  to  destroy  the  British  frigate 
"  Cerberus,"  lying  at  anchor  off  the  Connecticut  coast.  A  torpedo,  with 
the  usual  percussion  apparatus,  was  drawn  along  the  side  of  the  frigate 
by  a  long  line,  but  fouled  with  a  schooner  lying  astern.  The  explosion 
occurred  with  frightful  force,  and  the  schooner  was  wholly  demolished. 
Three  men  who  were  on  board  of  her  were  blown  to  pieces ;  and  a 
fourth  was  thrown  high  into  the  air,  and  was  picked  out  of  the  water 
in  an  almost  dying  condition. 

These  experiments  of  the  Connecticut  mechanic  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  were  the  forerunner  of  a  movement  which  took  almost  a  hundred 
years  to  become  generally  accepted.  We  have  been  accustomed  to  say 
that  Ericsson's  armor-clad  monitor  revolutionized  naval  warfare  ;  but  the 
perfection  of  the  torpedo  is  forcing  the  armor-clad  ships  into  disuse, 
as  they  in  their  day  thrust  aside  the  old  wooden  frigates.  The  wise 
nation  to-day,  seeing  how  irresistible  is  the  power  of  the  torpedo,  is 
abandoning  the  construction  of  cumbrous  iron-clads,  and  building  light, 
swift  cruisers,  that  by  speed  and  easy  steering  can  avoid  the  submarine 
enemy.  And  if  the  torpedo  cannot  be  said  to  be  the  ideal  weapon  of 


I36 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


chivalric  warfare,  it  may  at  least  in  time  be  credited  with  doing  away 
with  the  custom  of  cooping  men  up  in  wrought-iron  boxes,  to  fight  with 
machine  guns.  Farragut,  who  hated  iron-clads,  liked  torpedoes  little 
better;  but  had  he  foreseen  their  effects  upon  naval  tactics,  he  might 
have  hailed  them  as  the  destroyers  of  the  iron-clad  ships. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


NAVAL  EVENTS  OF  1778.  —  RECRUITING  FOR  THE  NAVY. -THE  DESCENT  UPON  NEW  PROVI 
DENCE.  —  OPERATIONS  ON  THL  DELAWARE.  —  CAPT.  BARRY'S  EXPLOITS.  —  DESTRUCTION 
OF  THE  AMERICAN  FRIGATES. —AMERICAN  REVERSES. —THE  CAPTURE  OF  THE  "PIGOT." 
—  FRENCH  NAVAL  EXPLOITS. 

HE  year  1778  opened  with  the  brightest  prospects  for  the 
American  cause.  The  notable  success  of  the  American  arms 
on  land,  and  particularly  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  had 
favorably  disposed  France  toward  an  alliance  with  the  United 
States ;  and,  in  fact,  this  alliance  was  soon  formed.  Furthermore,  the 
evidence  of  the  prowess  of  the  Americans  on  shore  had  stirred  up 
the  naval  authorities  to  vigorous  action,  and  it  was  determined  to  make 
the  year  1778  a  notable  one  upon  the  ocean. 

Much  difficulty  was  found,  at  the  very  outset,  in  getting  men  to  ship 
for  service  on  the  regular  cruisers.  Privateers  were  being  fitted  out  in 
every  port ;  and  on  them  the  life  was  easy,  discipline  slack,  danger  to 
life  small,  and  the  prospects  for  financial  reward  far  greater  than  on  the 
United  States  men-of-war.  Accordingly,  the  seafaring  men  as  a  rule 

137 


138  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

preferred  to  ship  on  the  privateers.  At  no  time  in  the  history  of  the 
United  States  has  the  barbaric  British  custom  of  getting  sailors  for 
the  navy  by  means  of  the  " press-gang"  been  followed.  American  blue 
jackets  have  never  been  impressed  by  force.  It  is  unfortunately  true 
that  unfair  advantages  have  been  taken  of  their  simplicity,  and  some 
times  they  have  even  been  shipped  while  under  the  influence  of  liquor ; 
but  such  cases  have  been  rare.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  few  men  have 
ever  trod  the  deck  of  a  United  States  man-of-war,  as  members  of  the 
crew,  without  being  there  of  their  own  free  will  and  accord. 

But  in  1777  it  was  sometimes  hard  to  fill  the  ships'  rosters.  Then 
the  ingenuity  of  the  recruiting  officers  was  called  into  play.  A  sailor 
who  served  on  the  "  Protector "  during  the  Revolution  thus  tells  the 
story  of  his  enlistment:  — 

"All  means  were  resorted  to  which  ingenuity  could  devise  to  induce 
men  to  enlist.  A  recruiting  officer,  bearing  a  flag,  and  attended  by  a 
band  of  martial  music,  paraded  the  streets,  to  excite  a  thirst  for  glory 
and  a  spirit  of  military  ambition.  The  recruiting  officer  possessed  the 
qualifications  necessary  to  make  the  service  appear  alluring,  especially 
to  the  young.  He  was  a  jovial,  good-natured  fellow,  of  ready  wit  and 
much  broad  humor.  When  he  espied  any  large  boys  among  the  idle 
crowd  around  him,  he  would  attract  their  attention  by  singing  in  a 
comical  manner  the  following  doggerel,  — 

'  All  you  that  have  bad  masters, 

And  cannot  get  your  due, 
Come,  come,  my  brave  boys, 
And  join  our  ship's  crew.' 

"A  shout  and  a  huzza  would  follow,  and  some  would  join  in  the 
ranks.  My  excitable  feelings  were  aroused.  I  repaired  to  the  rendez 
vous,  signed  the  ship's  papers,  mounted  a  cockade,  and  was,  in  my  own 
estimation,  already  more  than  half  a  sailor.  Appeals  continued  to  be 
made  to  the  patriotism  of  every  young  man,  to  lend  his  aid,  by  his 
exertions  on  sea  or  land,  to  free  his  country  from  the  common  enemy. 
About  the  last  of  February  the  ship  was  ready  to  receive  her  crew,  and 
was  hauled  off  into  the  channel,  that  the  sailors  might  have  no  oppor 
tunity  to  run  away  after  they  were  got  on  board.  Upward  of  three 


A7> 


COMMODORE  BARRY 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  139 


hundred  and  thirty  men  were  carried,  dragged,  and  driven  on  board,  of 
all  kinds,  ages,  and  descriptions,  in  all  the  various  stages  of  intoxication, 
from  that  of  sober  tipsiness  to  beastly  drunkenness,  with  an  uproar  and 
clamor  that  may  be  more  easily  imagined  than  described." 

But,  whatever  the  methods  adopted  to  secure  recruits  for  the  navy, 
the  men  thus  obtained  did  admirable  service ;  and  in  no  year  did  they 
win  more  glory  than  in  1778. 

As  usual  the  year's  operations  were  opened  by  an  exploit  of  one  of 
the  smaller  cruisers.  This  was  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  "  Provi 
dence,"  a  trig  little  vessel,  mounting  only  twelve  four-pounders,  and 
carrying  a  crew  of  but  fifty  men.  But  she  was  in  command  of  a  daring 
seaman  Capt.  Rathburne,  and  she  opened  the  year's  hostilities  with  an 
exploit  worthy  of  Paul  Jones. 

Off  the  south-eastern  coast  of  Florida,  in  that  archipelago  or  collection 
of  groups  of  islands  known  collectively  as  the  West  Indies,  lies  the 
small  island  of  New  Providence.  Here  in  1778  was  a  small  British 
colony.  The  well-protected  harbor,  and  the  convenient  location  of  the 
island,  made  it  a  favorite  place  for  the  rendezvous  of  British  naval 
vessels.  Indeed,  it  bid  fair  to  become,  what  Nassau  is  to-day,  the  chief 
British  naval  station  on  the  American  coast.  In  1778  the  little  seaport 
had  a  population  of  about  one  thousand  people. 

With  his  little  vessel,  and  her  puny  battery  of  four-pounders,  Capt. 
Rathburne  determined  to  undertake  the  capture  of  New  Providence. 
Only  the  highest  daring,  approaching  even  recklessness,  could  have  con 
ceived  such  a  plan.  The  harbor  was  defended  by  a  fort  of  no  mean 
power.  There  was  always  one  British  armed  vessel,  and  often  more, 
lying  at  anchor  under  the  guns  of  the  fort.  Two  hundred  of  the  people 
of  the  town  were  able-bodied  men,  able  to  bear  arms.  How,  then,  were 
the  Yankees,  with  their  puny  force,  to  hope  for  success  ?  This  query 
Rathburne  answered,  "  By  dash  and  daring." 

It  was  at>out  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  27th  of  January, 
1778,  that  the  "Providence"  cast  anchor  in  a  sheltered  cove  near  the 
entrance  to  the  harbor  of  New  Providence.  Twenty-five  of  her  crew 
were  put  as-hore,  and  being  re-enforced  by  a  few  American  prisoners 
kept  upor<  the  island,  made  a  descent  upon  Fort  Nassau  from  its  land- 

v~ld  side.     The  sentries    dozing   at  their  posts  were   easily  overpowered, 
6 


140  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

and  the  garrison  was  aroused  from  its  peaceful  slumbers  by  the  cheers 
of  the  Yankee  blue-jackets  as  they  came  tumbling  in  over  the  ramparts. 
A  rocket  sent  up  from  the  fort  announced  the  victory  to  the  "  Providence," 
and  she  came  in  and  cast  anchor  near  the  fort. 

When  morning  broke,  the  Americans  saw  a  large  sixteen-gun  ship 
lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor,  together  with  five  sail  that  looked  sus 
piciously  like  captured  American  merchantmen.  The  proceedings  of  the 
night  had  been  quietly  carried  on,  and  the  crew  of  the  armed  vessel  had 
no  reason  to  suspect  that  the  condition  of  affairs  on  shore  had  been 
changed  in  any  way  during  the  night.  But  at  daybreak  a  boat  carrying 
four  men  put  off  from  the  shore,  and  made  for  the  armed  ship ;  and  at 
the  same  time  a  flag  was  flung  out  from  the  flag-staff  of  the  fort, — not 
the  familiar  scarlet  flag  of  Great  Britain,  but  the  almost  unknown  stars 
and  stripes  of  the  United  States. 

The  sleepy  sailors  on  the  armed  vessel  rubbed  their  eyes  ;  and  while 
they  were  staring  at  the  strange  piece  of  bunting,  there  came  a  hail  froir. 
a  boat  alongside,  and  an  American  officer  clambered  over  the  rail.  He 
curtly  told  the  captain  of  the  privateer  that  the  fort  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  Americans,  and  called  upon  him  to  surrender  his  vessel  forthwith. 
Resistance  was  useless  ;  for  the  heavy  guns  of  Fort  Nassau  were  trained 
upon  the  British  ship,  and  could  blow  her  out  of  the  water.  The  visitor's 
arguments  proved  to  be  unanswerable ;  and  the  captain  of  the  privateer 
surrendered  his  vessel,  which  was  taken  possession  of  by  the  Americans; 
while  her  crew  of  forty-five  men  was  ordered  into  confinement  in  the  dungeons 
of  the  fort  which  had  so  lately  held  captive  Americans.  Other  boarding- 
parties  were  then  sent  to  the  other  vessels  in  the  harbor,  which  proved 
to  be  American  craft,  captured  by  the  British  sloop-of-war  "Graytoa." 

At  sunrise  the  sleeping  town  showed  signs  of  reviving  life,  and  a 
party  of  the  audacious  Yankees  marched  down  to  the  house  of  the 
governor.  That  functionary  was  found  in  bed,  and  in  profound  ignorar>co 
of  the  events  of  the  night.  The  Americans  broke  the  news  to  him  none 
too  gently,  and  demanded  the  keys  of  a  disused  fortress  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  harbor  from  Fort  Nassau.  For  a  time  the  governor  was 
inclined  to  demur;  but  the  determined  attitude  of  the  Americans  soon 
persuaded  him  that  he  was  a  prisoner,  though  in  his  own  house,  and  he 
delivered  the  keys.  Thereupon  the  Americans  marched  through  the  streets 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


of  the  city,  around  the  harbor's  edge  to  the  fort,  spiked  the  guns,  and 
carrying  with  them  the  powder  a.nd  small-arms,  marched  back  to  Fort 
Nassau. 

But  by  this  time  it  was  ten  o'clock,  and  the  whole  town  was  aroused. 
The  streets  were  crowded  with  people  eagerly  discussing  the  invasion. 
The  timid  ones  were  busily  packing  up  their  goods  to  fly  into  the 
country  ;  while  the  braver  ones  were  hunting  for  weapons,  and  organizing 
for  an  attack  upon  the  fort  held  by  the  Americans.  Fearing  an  out 
break,  Capt.  Rathburne  sent  out  a  flag  of  truce,  making  proclamation  to 
all  the  inhabitants  of  New  Providence,  that  the  Americans  would  do  no 
damage  to  the  persons  or  property  of  the  people  of  the  island  unless 
compelled  so  to  do  in  self-defence.  This  pacified  the  more  temperate  of 
the  inhabitants  ;  but  the  hotheads,  to  the  number  of  about  two  hundred, 
assembled  before  Fort  Nassau,  and  threatened  to  attack  it.  But,  when 
they  summoned  Rathburne  to  surrender,  that  officer  leaped  upon  the 
parapet,  and  coolly  told  the  assailants  to  come  on. 

"We  can  beat  you  back  easily,"  said  he.  "And,  by  the  Eternal,  if 
you  fire  a  gun  at  us,  we'll  turn  the  guns  of  the  fort  on  your  town,  and 
lay  it  in  ruins." 

This  bold  defiance  disconcerted  the  enemy  ;  and,  after  some  consul 
tation  among  themselves,  they  dispersed. 

About  noon  that  day,  the  British  sloop-of-war  "  Grayton  "  made  her 
appearance,  and  stood  boldly  into  the  harbor  where  lay  the  "Providence." 
The  United  States  colors  were  quickly  hauled  down  from  the  fort  flag 
staff,  and  every  means  was  taken  to  conceal  the  true  state  of  affairs 
from  the  enemy.  But  the  inhabitants  along  the  waterside,  by  means  of 
constant  signalling  and  shouting,  at  last  aroused  the  suspicion  of  her 
officers  ;  and  she  hastily  put  about,  and  scudded  for  the  open  sea.  The 
guns  at  Fort  Nassau  opened  on  her  as  she  passed,  and  the  aim  of 
the  Yankee  gunners  was  accurate  enough  to  make  the  splinters  fly.  The 
exact  damage  done  her  has,  however,  never  been  ascertained. 

All  that  night  the  daring  band  of  blue-jackets  held  the  fort  unmo 
lested.  But  on  the  following  morning  the  townspeople  again  plucked 
up  courage,  and  to  the  number  of  five  hundred  marched  to  the  fort,  and 
placing  several  pieces  of  artillery  in  battery,  summoned  the  garrison  to 
surrender.  The  flag  of  truce  that  bore  the  summons  carried  also  the 


142  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

threat,  that,  unless  the  Americans  laid  down  their  arms  without  resistance, 
the  fort  would  be  stormed,  and  all  therein  put  to  the  sword  without 
mercy. 

For  answer  to  the  summons,  the  Americans  nailed  their  colors  to 
the  mast,  and  swore  that  while  a  man  of  them  lived  the  fort  should  not 
be  surrendered.  By  this  bold  defiance  they  so  awed  the  enemy  that 
the  day  passed  without  the  expected  assault ;  and  at  night  the  besiegers 
returned  to  their  homes,  without  having  fired  a  shot. 

All  that  night  the  Americans  worked  busily,  transferring  to  the 
"Providence"  all  the  ammunition  and  stores  in  the  fort;  and  the  next 
morning  the  prizes  were  manned,  the  guns  of  the  fort  spiked,  and  the 
adventurous  Yankees  set  sail  in  triumph.  For  three  days  they  had  held 
possession  of  the  island,  though  outnumbered  tenfold  by  the  inhabitants ; 
they  had  captured  large  quantities  of  ammunition  and  naval  stores ;  they 
had  freed  their  captured  countrymen  ;  they  had  retaken  from  the  British 
five  captured  American  vessels,  and  in  the  whole  affair  they  had  lost 
not  a  single  man.  It  was  an  achievement  of  which  a  force  of  triple  the 
number  might  have  been  proud. 

In  February,  1778,  the  Delaware,  along  the  water-front  of  Philadelphia, 
was  the  scene  of  some  dashing  work  by  American  sailors,  under  the 
command  of  Capt.  John  Barry.  This  officer  was  in  command  of  the 
"  Effingham,"  one  of  the  vessels  which  had  been  trapped  in  the  Dela 
ware  by  the  unexpected  occupation  of  Philadelphia  by  the  British.  The 
inactivity  of  the  vessels,  which  had  taken  refuge  at  Whitehall,  was 
a  sore  disappointment  to  Barry,  who  longed  for  the  excitement  and 
clangers  of  actual  battle.  With  the  British  in  force  at  Philadelphia,  it 
was  madness  to  think  of  taking  the  frigates  down  the  stream.  But 
Barry  rightly  thought  that  what  could  not  be  clone  with  a  heavy  ship 
might  be  done  with  a  few  light  boats. 

Philadelphia  was  then  crowded  with  British  troops.  The  soldiers 
were  well  provided  with  money,  and,  finding  themselves  quartered  in  a 
city  for  the  winter,  led  a  life  of  continual  gayety.  The  great  accession 
to  the  population  of  the  town  made  it  necessary  to  draw  upon  the 
country  far  and  near  for  provisions  ;  and  boats  were  continually  plying 
upon  the  Delaware,  carrying  provisions  to  the  city.  To  intercept  some 
of  these  boats,  and  to  give  the  merrv  British  officers  a  taste  of 
starvation,  was  Barry's  plan. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  143 


Accordingly  four  boats  were  manned  with  well-armed  crews,  and  with 
muffled  oars  set  out  on  a  dark  night  to  patrol  the  river.  Philadelphia 
was  reached,  and  the  expedition  was  almost  past  the  city,  when  the 
sentries  on  one  of  the  British  men-of-war  gave  the  alarm.  A  few 
scattering  shots  were  fired  from  the  shore ;  but  the  jackies  bent  to  their 
oars,  and  the  boats  were  soon  lost  to  sight  in  the  darkness.  When  day 
broke,  Barry  was  far  down  the  river. 

Opposite  the  little  post  held  by  the  American  army,  and  called  Fort 
Penn,  Barry  spied  a  large  schooner,  mounting  ten  guns,  and  flying  the 
British  flag.  With  her  were  four  transport  ships,  loaded  with  forage  for 
the  enemy's  forces.  Though  the  sun  had  risen,  and  it  was  broad  day, 
Barry  succeeded  in  running  his  boats  alongside  the  schooner ;  and  before 
the  British  suspected  the  presence  of  any  enemy,  the  blue-jackets  were 
clambering  over  the  rail,  cutlass  and  pistol  in  hand.  There  was  no 
resistance.  The  astonished  Englishmen  threw  down  their  arms,  and 
rushed  below.  The  victorious  Americans  battened  down  the  hatcher, 
ordered  the  four  transports  to  surrender,  on  pain  of  being  fired  into, 
and  triumphantly  carried  all  five  prizes  to  the  piers  of  Fort  Penn. 
There  the  hatches  were  removed ;  and,  the  Yankee  sailors  being  drawn 
up  in  line,  Barry  ordered  the  prisoners  to  come  on  deck.  When  all 
appeared,  it  was  found  that  the  Yankees  had  bagged  one  major,  two 
captains,  three  lieutenants,  ten  soldiers,  and  about  a  hundred  sailors  and 
marines, — a  very  respectable  haul  for  a  party  of  not  more  than  thirty 
American  sailors. 

The  next  day  a  British  frigate  and  sloop-of-war  appeared  down  the 
bay.  They  were  under  full  sail,  and  were  apparently  making  for  Fort 
Penn,  with  the  probable  intention  of  recapturing  Barry's  prizes.  Fearing 
that  he  might  be  robbed  of  the  fruits  of  his  victory,  Barry  put  the  four 
transports  in  charge  of  Capt.  Middleton,  with  instructions  to  fire  them 
should  the  enemy  attempt  to  cut  them  out.  In  the  mean  time,  he  took 
the  ten-gun  schooner,  and  made  for  the  Christiana  River,  in  the  hopes 
of  taking  her  into  shallow  waters,  whither  the  heavier  British  vessels 
could  not  follow.  But,  unluckily  for  his  plans,  the  wind  favored  the 
frigate ;  and  she  gained  upon  him  so  rapidly,  that  only  by  the  greatest 
expedition  could  he  run  his  craft  ashore  and  escape.  Two  of  the  guns 
were  pointed  down  the  main  hatch,  and  a  few  rounds  of  round-shot  were 


144  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

fired  through  the  schooner's  bottom.  She  sunk  quickly;  and  the  Ameri 
cans  pushed  off  from  her  side,  just  as  the  British  frigate  swung  into 
position,  and  let  fly  her  broadside  at  her  escaping  foes. 

The  schooner  being  thus  disposed  of,  the  British  turned  their  atten 
tion  to  the  four  captured  transports  at  Fort  Penn.  Capt.  Middleton  and 
Capt.  McLane,  who  commanded  the  American  militia  on  shore,  had  taken 
advantage  of  the  delay  to  build  a  battery  of  bales  of  hay  near  the  piers. 
The  British  sloop-of-war  opened  the  attack,  but  the  sharp-shooters  in  the 
battery  and  on  the  transports  gave  her  so  warm  a  reception  that  she  re 
tired.  She  soon  returned  to  the  attack,  but  was  checked  by  the  American 
fire,  and  might  have  been  beaten  off,  had  not  Middleton  received  a 
mortal  wound  while  standing  on  the  battery  and  cheering  on  his  men. 
Dismayed  by  the  fall  of  their  leader,  the  Americans  set  fire  to  the 
transport  and  fled  to  the  woods,  leaving  the  British  masters  of  the  field. 

Barry's  conduct  in  this  enterprise  won  for  him  the  admiration  of 
friend  and  foe  alike.  Sir  William  Howe,  then  commander-in-chief  of  the 
British  forces  in  America,  offered  the  daring  American  twenty  thousand 
guineas  and  the  command  of  a  British  frigate,  if  he  would  desert  the 
service  of  the  United  States. 

"  Not  the  value  and  command  of  the  whole  British  fleet,"  wrote 
Barry  in  reply,  "can  seduce  me  from  the  cause  of  my  country." 

After  this  adventure,  Barry  and  his  followers  made  their  way  through 
the  woods  back  to  Whitehall,  where  his  ship  the  "  Effingham  "  was  lying 
at  anchor.  Here  he  passed  the  winter  in  inactivity.  At  Whitehall,  and 
near  that  place,  were  nearly  a  dozen  armed  ships,  frigates,  sloops, 
and  privateers.  All  had  fled  thither  for  safety  when  the  British  took 
possession  of  Philadelphia,  and  now  found  themselves  caught  in  a  trap. 
To  run  the  blockade  of  British  batteries  and  men-of-war  at  Philadelphia, 
was  impossible ;  and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait  until  the  enemy 
should  evacuate  the  city. 

But  the  British  were  in  no  haste  to  leave  Philadelphia ;  and  when 
they  did  get  ready  to  leave,  they  determined  to  destroy  the  American 
flotilla  before  departing.  Accordingly  on  the  4th  of  May,  1778,  the 
water-front  of  the  Quaker  City  was  alive  with  soldiers  and  citizens 
watching  the  embarkation  of  the  troops  ordered  against  the  American 
forces  at  Whitehall.  On  the  placid  bosom  of  the  Delaware  floated  the 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  145 

schooners  "Viper  "and  "  Pembroke,"  the  galleys  "Hussar,"  "  Cornwallis," 
"  Ferret,"  and  "  Philadelphia,"  four  gunboats,  and  eighteen  flat-boats. 
Between  this  fleet  and  the  shore,  boats  were  busily  plying,  carrying  off 
the  soldiers  of  the  light  infantry,  seven  hundred  of  whom  were  detailed 
for  the  expedition.  It  was  a  holiday  affair.  The  British  expected  little 
fighting ;  and  with  flags  flying,  and  bands  playing,  the  vessels  started  up 
stream,  the  cheers  of  the  soldiers  on  board  mingling  with  those  on  the 
shore. 

Bristol,  the  landing-place  chosen,  was  soon  reached;  and  the  troops 
disembarked  without  meeting  with  any  opposition.  Forming  in  solid 
column,  the  soldiers  took  up  the  march  for  Whitehall ;  but,  when  within 
five  miles  of  that  place,  a  ruddy  glare  in  the  sky  told  that  the  Americans 
had  been  warned  of  their  coming,  and  had  set  the  torch  to  the  shipping. 
When  the  head  of  the  British  column  entered  Whitehall,  the  two  new 
American  frigates  "  Washington "  and  "  Effingham "  were  wrapped  in 
flames.  Both  were  new  vessels,  and  neither  had  yet  taken  on  board  her 
battery.  Several  other  vessels  were  lying  at  the  wharves ;  and  to  these 
the  British  set  the  torch,  and  continued  their  march,  leaving  the  roaring 
flames  behind  them.  A  little  farther  up  the  Delaware,  at  the  point 
known  as  Crosswise  Creek,  the  large  privateer  "  Sturdy  Beggar "  was 
found,  together  with  several  smaller  craft.  The  crews  had  all  fled,  and 
the  deserted  vessels  met  the  fate  of  the  other  craft  taken  by  the  invaders. 
Then  the  British  turned  their  steps  homeward,  and  reached  Philadelphia, 
after  having  burned  almost  a  score  of  vessels,  and  fired  not  a  single 
shot. 

On  the  high  seas  during  1778  occurred  several  notable  naval  engage 
ments.  Of  the  more  important  of  these  we  have  spoken  in  our  accounts 
of  the  exploits  of  Tucker,  Biddle,  and  Paul  Jones.  The  less  important 
ones  must  be  dismissed  with  a  hasty  word. 

It  may  be  said,  that,  in  general,  the  naval  actions  of  1778  went  against 
the  Americans.  In  February  of  that  year  the  "Alfred"  was  captured 
by  a  British  frigate,  and  the  "  Raleigh "  narrowly  escaped.  In  March, 
the  new  frigate  "  Virginia,"  while  beating  out  of  Chesapeake  Bay  on  her 
very  first  cruise,  ran  aground,  and  was  captured  by  the  enemy.  In 
September,  the  United  States  frigate  "  Raleigh,"  when  a  few  days  out 
from  Boston,  fell  in  with  two  British  vessels,  —  one  a  frigate,  and  the  other 


146  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

a  ship-of-the-line.  Capt.  Barry,  whose  daring  exploits  on  the  Delaware  we 
have  chronicled,  was  in  command  of  the  "  Raleigh,"  and  gallantly  gave 
battle  to  the  frigate,  which  was  in  the  lead.  Between  these  two  vessels 
the  conflict  raged  with  great  fury  for  upwards  of  two  hours,  when  the 
fore-toprnast  and  mizzen  top-gallant-mast  of  the  American  having  been 
shot  away  Barry  attempted  to  close  the  conflict  by  boarding.  The 
enemy  kept  at  a  safe  distance,  however ;  and  his  consort  soon  coming  up, 
the  Americans  determined  to  seek  safety  in  flight.  The  enemy  pursued, 
keeping  up  a  rapid  fire ;  and  the  running  conflict  continued  until  mid 
night.  Finally  Barry  set  fire  to^  his  ship,  and  with  the  greater  part  of 
his  crew  escaped  to  the  nearest  land,  an  island  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Penobscot.  The  British  immediately  boarded  the  abandoned  ship, 
extinguished  the  flames,  and  carried  their  prize  away  in  triumph. 

To  offset  these  reverses  to  the  American  arms,  there  were  one  or 
two  victories  for  the  Americans,  aside  from  those  won  by  Paul  Jones, 
and  the  exploits  of  privateers  and  colonial  armed  vessels,  which  we 
shall  group  together  in  a  later  chapter.  The  first  of  these  victories  was 
won  by  an  army  officer,  who  was  later  transferred  to  the  navy,  and  won 
great  honor  in  the  naval  service. 

In  an  inlet  of  Narragansett  Bay,  near  Newport,  the  British  had 
anchored  a  powerful  floating  battery,  made  of  the  dismasted  hulk  of  the 
schooner  "  Pigot,"  on  which  were  mounted  twelve  eight-pounders  and  ten 
swivel  guns.  It  was  about  the  time  that  the  fleet  sent  by  France  to  aid 
the  United  States  was  expected  to  arrive  ;  and  the  British  had  built  and 
placed  in  position  this  battery,  to  close  the  channel  leading  to  Newport. 
Major  Silas  Talbot,  an  army  officer  who  had  won  renown  earlier  in  the 
war  by  a  daring  but  unsuccessful  attempt  to  destroy  two  British  frigates 
in  the  Hudson  River,  by  means  of  fire-ships,  obtained  permission  to  lead 
an  expedition  for  the  capture  of  the  "  Pigot."  Accordingly,  with  sixty 
picked  men,  he  set  sail  from  Providence  in  the  sloop  "  Hawk,"  mounting 
three  three-pounders.  When  within  a  few  miles  of  the  "  Pigot,"  he 
landed,  and,  borrowing  a  horse,  rode  down  and  reconnoitred  the  battery. 
When  the  night  set  in,  he  returned  to  the  sloop,  and  at  once  weighed  anchor 
and  made  for  the  enemy.  As  the  "Hawk"  drew  near  the  "Pigot,"  the 
British  sentinels  challenged  her,  and  receiving  no  reply,  fired  a  volley 
of  musketry,  which  injured  no  one.  On  came  the  "Hawk,"  under  a 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  H7 

full  spread  of  canvas.  A  kedge-anchor  had  been  lashed  to  the  end  of 
her  bowsprit ;  and,  before  the  British  could  reload,  this  crashed  through 
the  boarding-nettings  of  the  "Pigot,"  and  caught  in  the  shrouds.  The 
two  vessels  being  fast,  the  Americans,  with  ringing  cheers,  ran  along 
the  bowsprit,  and  dropped  on  the  deck  of  the  "  Pigot."  The  surprise 
was  complete.  The  British  captain  rushed  on  deck,  clad  only  in  hi» 
shirt  and  drawers,  and  strove  manfully  to  rally  his  crew.  But  as  the 
Americans,  cutlass  and  pistol  in  hand,  swarmed  over  the  taffrail,  the 
surprised  British  lost  heart,  and  fled  to  the  hold,  until  at  last  the  cap 
tain  found  himself  alone  upon  the  deck.  Nothing  was  left  for  him  but 
to  surrender  with  the  best  grace  possible ;  and  soon  Talbot  was  on  his 
way  back  to  Providence,  with  his  prize  and  a  shipful  of  prisoners. 

But  perhaps  the  greatest  naval  event  of  1778  in  American  waters 
was  the  arrival  of  the  fleet  sent  by  France  to  co-operate  with  the 
American  forces.  Not  that  any  thing  of  importance  was  ever  accom 
plished  by  this  naval  force :  the  French  officers  seemed  to  find  their 
greatest  satisfaction  in  manoeuvring,  reconnoitring,  and  performing  in 
the  most  exact  and  admirable  manner  all  the  preliminaries  to  a  battle. 
Having  done  this,  they  would  sail  away,  never  firing  a  gun.  The 
Yankees  were  prone  to  disregard  the  nice  points  of  naval  tactics.  Their 
plan  was  to  lay  their  ships  alongside  the  enemy,  and  pound  away  until 
one  side  or  the  other  had  to  yield  or  sink.  But  the  French  allies  were 
strong  on  tactics,  and  somewhat  weak  in  dash ;  and,  as  a  result,  there 
is  not  one  actual  combat  in  which  they  figured  to  be  recorded. 

It  was  a  noble  fleet  that  France  sent  to  the  aid  of  the  struggling 
Americans, — twelve  ships-of-the-line  and  three  frigates.  What  dashing 
Paul  Jones  would  have  done,  had  he  ever  enjoyed  the  command  of  such 
a  fleet,  almost  passes  imagination.  Certain  it  is  that  he  would  have 
wasted  little  time  in  formal  evolutions.  But  the  fleet  was  commanded  by 
Count  d'Estaing,  a  French  naval  officer  of  honorable  reputation.  What 
he  accomplished  during  his  first  year's  cruise  in  American  waters,  can 
be  told  in  a  few  words.  His  intention  was  to  trap  Lord  Howe's  fleet 
in  the  Delaware,  but  he  arrived  too  late.  He  then  followed  the  British  to 
New  York,  but  was  baffled  there  by  the  fact  that  his  vessels  were  too 
heavy  to  cross  the  bar.  Thence  he  went  to  Newport,  where  the  appear 
ance  of  his  fleet  frightened  the  British  into  burning  four  of  their 


148  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

frigates,  and  sinking  two  sloops-of-war.  Lord  Howe,  hearing  of  this, 
plucked  up  courage,  and,  gathering  together  all  his  ships,  sailed  from 
New  York  to  Newport,  to  give  battle  to  the  French.  The  two  fleets 
were  about  equally  matched.  On  the  roth  of  August  the  enemies  met 
in  the  open  sea,  off  Newport.  For  two  days  they  kept  out  of  range  of 
each  other,  manoeuvring  for  the  weather-gage ;  that  is,  the  French  fleet, 
being  to  windward  of  the  British,  strove  to  keep  that  position,  while  the 
British  endeavored  to  take  it  from  them.  The  third  day  a  gale  arose; 
and  when  it  subsided  the  ships  were  so  crippled,  that,  after  exchanging 
a  few  harmless  broadsides  at  long  range,  they  withdrew,  and  the  naval 
battle  was  ended. 

Such  was  the  record  of  D'Estaing's  magnificent  fleet  during  1778. 
Certainly  the  Americans  had  little  to  learn  from  the  representatives  of 
the  power  that  had  for  years  contended  with  England  for  the  mastery 
of  the  seas. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

LAST  YEARS  OF  THE  WAR.  — DISASTROUS  EXPE 
DITION  TO  THE  PENOBSCOT.  —  WHOLESALE 
CAPTURES  ON  THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  BANKS.— 
FRENCH  SHIPS  IN  AMERICAN  WATERS.  — TAK 
ING  OF  CHARLESTON.  —  THE  "  TRUM  BULL'S  " 
VICTORY  AND  DEFEAT.  —  CAPT.  BA  RY  AND 
THE  "ALLIANCE."— CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR. 


HE  year  1779  is  chiefly  known  in  American  naval  history  as  the 
year  in  which  Paul  Jones  did  his  most  brilliant  service  in  the 
"Bon  Homme  Richard."  The  glory  won  by  the  Americans  was 
chiefly  gained  in  European  waters.  Along  the  coast  of  the 
United  States,  there  were  some  dashing  actions ;  but  the  advantage 
generally  remained  with  the  British. 

Perhaps  the  most  notable  naval  event  of  this  year,  aside  from  the 
battle  between  the  "Bon  Homme  Richard"  and  the  "Serapis,"  was 
the  expedition  sent  by  the  State  of  Massachusetts  against  the  British 
post  at  Castine,  on  the  banks  of  the  Penobscot  River.  At  this  unim 
portant  settlement  in  the  wilds  of  Maine,  the  British  had  established  a 
military  post,  with  a  garrison  of  about  a  thousand  men,  together  with 
four  armed  vessels.  Here  they  might  have  been  permitted  to  remain  in 
peace,  so  far  as  any  danger  from  their  presence  was  to  be  apprehended 
by  the  people  of  New  England.  But  the  sturdy  citizens  of  Massachusetts 
had  boasted,  that,  since  the  evacuation  of  Boston,  no  British  soldier  had 
dared  to  set  foot  on  Massachusetts  soil ;  and  the  news  of  this  invasion 
caused  the  people  of  Boston  to  rise  as  one  man,  and  demand  that  the 
invaders  should  be  expelled. 

Accordingly  a  joint  naval  and  military  expedition  was  fitted  out  under 
authority  granted  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State-  Congress  detailed 

149 


150  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

he  United  States  frigate  "Warren,"  and  the  sloops-of-war  "Diligence" 
and  "Providence,"  to  head  the  expedition.  The  Massachusetts  cruisers 
"Hazard,"  "Active,"  and  "Tyrannicide"  represented  the  regular  naval 
forces  of  the  Bay  State ;  and  twelve  armed  vessels  belonging  to  private 
citizens  were  hired,  to  complete  the  armada.  The  excitement  among 
seafaring  men  ran  high.  Every  man  who  had  ever  swung  a  cutlass  or 
sighted  a  gun  was  anxious  to  accompany  the  expedition.  Ordinarily  it 
was  difficult  to  ship  enough  men  for  the  navy ;  now  it  was  impossible  to 
take  all  the  applicants.  It  is  even  recorded  that  the  list  of  common 
sailors  on  the  armed  ship  "Vengeance"  included  thirty  masters  of 
merchantmen,  who  waived  all  considerations  of  rank,  in  order  that  they 
might  join  the  expedition. 

To  co-operate  with  the  fleet,  a  military  force  was  thought  necessary ; 
and  accordingly  orders  were  issued  for  fifteen  hundred  of  the  militia  of 
the  district  of  Maine  to  assemble  at  Townsend.  Brig.-Gen.  Sullivan  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  land  forces,  while  Capt.  Saltonstall  of 
the  "Warren"  was  made  commodore  of  the  fleet. 

Punctually  on  the  day  appointed  the  white  sails  of  the  American 
ships  were  seen  by  the  militiamen  at  the  appointed  rendezvous.  But 
when  the  ships  dropped  anchor,  and  the  commodore  went  ashore  to 
consult  with  the  officers  of  the  land  forces,  he  found  that  but  nine 
hundred  of  the  militiamen  had  responded  to  the  call.  Nevertheless,  it 
was  determined,  after  a  brief  consultation,  to  proceed  with  the  expedition, 
despite  the  sadly  diminished  strength  of  the  militia  battalions. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  the  fleet  set  sail  from  the  harbor  of  Townsend. 
It  was  an  extraordinary  and  impressive  spectacle.  The  shores  of  the 
harbor  were  covered  with  unbroken  forests,  save  at  the  lower  end  where 
a  little  hamlet  of  scarce  five  hundred  people  gave  a  touch  of  civilization 
to  the  wild  scene.  But  the  water  looked  as  though  the  commerce  of  a 
dozen  cities  had  centred  there.  On  the  placid  bosom  of  the  little  bay 
floated  forty-four  vessels.  The  tread  of  men  about  the  capstans,  the 
hoarse  shouts  of  command,  the  monotonous  songs  of  the  sailors,  the 
creaking  of  cordage,  and  the  flapping  of  sails  gave  an  unwonted  turbu 
lence  to  the  air  which  seldom  bore  a  sound  other  than  the  voices  of 
birds  or  the  occasional  blows  of  a  woodman's  axe.  Nineteen  vessels-of- 
war  and  twenty-five  transports  imparted  to  the  harbor  of  Townsend  an 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  151 

air  of  life  and  bustle  to  which  it  had  been  a  stranger,  and  which  it  has 
never  since  experienced. 

The  weather  was  clear,  and  the  wind  fair ;  so  that  two  days  after 
leaving  Townsend  the  fleet  appeared  before  the  works  of  the  enemy. 
Standing  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the  "Warren,"  the  commodore  and  the 
general  eagerly  scanned  the  enemy's  defences,  and  after  a  careful  exam 
ination  were  forced  to  admit  that  the  works  they  had  to  carry  were 
no  mean  specimens  of  the  art  of  fortification.  The  river's  banks  rose 
almost  perpendicularly  from  the  water-side,  and  on  their  crest  were 
perched  the  enemy's  batteries,  while  on  a  high  and  precipitous  hill  was 
built  a  fort  or  citadel.  In  the  river  were  anchored  the  four  armed 
vessels. 

Two  days  were  spent  by  the  Americans  in  reconnoitring  the  enemy's 
works  ;  and  on  the  28th  of  July  the  work  of  disembarking  the  troops 
began,  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy's  batteries.  The  "Warren" 
and  one  of  the  sloops-of-war  endeavored  to  cover  the  landing  party  by 
attacking  the  batteries  ;  and  a  spirited  cannonade  followed,  in  which  the 
American  flag-ship  suffered  seriously.  At  last  all  the  militia,  together 
with  three  hundred  marines,  were  put  on  shore,  and  at  once  assaulted 
the  batteries.  They  were  opposed  by  about  an  equal  number  of  well- 
drilled  Scotch  regulars,  and  the  battle  raged  fiercely  ;  the  men-of-war  in 
the  river  covering  the  advance  of  the  troops  by  a  spirited  and  well- 
directed  fire.  More  than  once  the  curving  line  of  men  rushed  against 
the  fiery  front  of  the  British  ramparts,  and  recoiled,  shattered  by  the 
deadly  volleys  of  the  Scotch  veterans.  Here  and  there,  in  the  grass  and 
weeds,  the  forms  of  dead  men  began  to  be  seen.  The  pitiable  spectacle 
of  the  wounded,  painfully  crawling  to  the  rear,  began  to  make  the  pulse  of 
the  bravest  beat  quicker.  But  the  men  of  Massachusetts,  responsive  to 
the  voices  of  their  officers,  re-formed  their  shattered  ranks,  and  charged 
again  and  again,  until  at  last,  with  a  mighty  cheer,  they  swept  over  the 
ramparts,  driving  the  British  out.  Many  of  the  enemy  surrendered ; 
more  fled  for  shelter  to  the  fort  on  the  hill.  The  smoke  and  din  of 
battle  died  away.  There  came  a  brief  respite  in  the  bloody  strife.  The 
Americans  had  won  the  first  trick  in  the  bloody  game  of  war. 

Only  a  short  pause  followed ;  then  the  Americans  moved  upon  the 
fort.  But  here  they  found  themselves  overmatched.  Against  the  tower- 


152  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

ing  bastions  of  the  fortress  they  might  hurl  themselves  in  vain.  The 
enemy,  safe  behind  its  heavy  parapets,  could  mow  down  their  advancing 
ranks  with  a  cool  and  deliberate  fire.  The  assailants  had  already  sacri 
ficed  more  than  a  hundred  men.  Was  it  wise  now  to  order  an  assault 
that  might  lead  to  the  loss  of  twice  that  number? 

The  hotheads  cried  out  for  the  immediate  storming  of  the  fort ;  but 
cooler  counsels  prevailed,  and  a  siege  was  decided  upon.  Trenches  were 
dug,  the  guns  in  the  outlying  batteries  were  turned  upon  the  fort,  and 
the  New  Englanders  sat  down  to  wait  until  the  enemy  should  be  starved 
out,  or  until  re-enforcements  might  be  brought  from  Boston. 

So  for  three  weeks  the  combatants  rested  on  their  arms,  glaring  at 
;ach  other  over  the  tcps  of  their  breastworks,  and  now  and  then 
exchanging  a  shot  or  a  casual  volley,  but  doing  little  in  the  way  oi 
actual  hostilities.  Provisions  were  failing  the  British,  and  they  began 
to  feel  that  they  were  in  a  trap  from  which  they  could  only  emerge 
through  a  surrender,  when  suddenly  the  situation  was  changed,  and  the 
fortunes  of  war  went  against  the  Americans. 

One  morning  the  "Tyrannicide,"  which  was  stationed  on  the  lookout 
down  the  bay,  was  seen  beating  up  the  river,  under  a  full  press  of  sail. 
Signals  flying  at  her  fore  indicated  that  she  had  important  news  to  tell. 
Her  anchor  had  not  touched  the  bottom  before  a  boat  pushed  off  from 
her  side,  and  made  straight  for  the  commodore's  flagship.  Reaching  the 
"Warren,"  a  lieutenant  clambered  over  the  side,  and  saluted  Commodore 
Saltonstall  on  the  quarter-deck. 

"Capt.  Cathcart's  compliments,  sir,"  said  he,  "and  five  British  men- 
of-war  are  just  entering  the  bay.  The  first  one  appears  to  be  the 
*  Rainbow,'  forty-four." 

Here  was  news  indeed.  Though  superior  in  numbers,  the  Americans 
were  far  inferior  in  weight  of  metal.  After  a  hasty  consultation,  it  was 
determined  to  abandon  the  siege,  and  retreat  with  troops  and  vessels  to 
the  shallow  waters  of  the  Penobscot,  whither  the  heavy  men-of-war  of  the 
enemy  would  be  unable  to  follow  them.  Accordingly  the  troops  were 
hastily  re-embarked,  and  a  hurried  flight  began,  which  was  greatly 
accelerated  by  the  appearance  of  the  enemy  coming  up  the  river. 

The  chase  did  not  continue  long  before  it  became  evident  the  enemy 
would  overhaul  the  retreating  ships.  Soon  he  came  within  range,  and 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  153 

opened  fire  with  his  bow-guns,  in  the  hopes  of  crippling  one  of  the 
American  ships.  The  fire  was  returned ;  and  for  several  hours  the 
wooded  shores  of  the  Penobscot  echoed  and  re-echoed  the  thunders  of 
the  cannonade,  as  the  warring  fleets  swept  up  the  river. 

At  last  the  conviction  forced  itself  on  the  minds  of  the  Americans, 
that  for  them  there  was  no  escape.  The  British  were  steadily  gaining 
upon  them,  and  there  was  no  sign  of  the  shoal  water  in  which  they  had 
hoped  to  find  a  refuge.  It  would  seem  that  a  bold  dash  might  have 
carried  the  day  for  the  Americans,  so  greatly  did  they  outnumber  their 
enemies.  But  this  plan  does  not  appear  to  have  suggested  itself  to 
Capt.  Saltonstall,  who  had  concentrated  all  his  efforts  upon  the  attempt 
to  escape.  When  escape  proved  to  be  hopeless,  his  only  thought  was  to 
destroy  his  vessels.  Accordingly  his  flagship,  the  "Warren,"  was  run 
ashore,  and  set  on  fire.  The  action  of  the  commodore  was  imitated  by 
the  rest  of  the  officers,  and  soon  the  banks  of  the  river  were  lined  with 
blazing  vessels.  The  "  Hunter,"  the  "  Hampden,"  and  one  transport  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  British.  The  rest  of  the  forty-nine  vessels  —  men- 
of-war,  privateers,  and  transports  —  that  made  up  the  fleet  were  destroyed 
by  flames. 

It  must  indeed  have  been  a  stirring  spectacle.  The  shores  of  the 
Penobscot  River  were  then  a  trackless  wilderness  ;  the  placid  bosom  of 
the  river  itself  had  seldom  been  traversed  by  a  heavier  craft  than  the 
slender  birch-bark  canoe  of  the  red  man  ;  yet  here  was  this  river  crowded 
with  shipping,  the  dark  forests  along  its  banks  lighted  up  by  the  glare 
of  twoscore  angry  fires.  Through  the  thickets  and  underbrush  parties  of 
excited  men  broke  their  way,  seeking  for  a  common  point  of  meeting, 
out  of  range  of  the  cannon  of  the  enemy.  The  British,  meantime,  were 
striving  to  extinguish  the  flames,  but  with  little  success ;  and  before 
the  day  ended,  little  remained  of  the  great  Massachusetts  flotilla,  except  the 
three  captured  ships  and  sundry  heaps  of  smouldering  timber. 

The  hardships  of  the  soldiers  and  marines  who  had  escaped  capture, 
only  to  find  themselves  lost  in  the  desolate  forest,  were  of  the  severest 
kind.  Separating  into  parties  they  plodded  along,  half-starv-ed,  with  torn 
and  rain-soaked  clothing,  until  finally,  footsore  and  almost  perishing,  they 
reached  the  border  settlements,  and  were  aided  on  their  way  to  Boston. 
The  disaster  was  complete,  and  for  months  its  depressing  effect  upon 
American  naval  enterprise  was  observable. 


154  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

In  observing  the  course  of  naval  events  in  1779,  it  is  noticeable  that 
the  most  effective  work  was  done  by  the  cruisers  sent  out  by  the 
individual  States,  or  by  privateers.  The  United  States  navy,  proper,  did 
little  except  what  was  done  in  European  waters  by  Paul  Jones.  Indeed, 
along  the  American  coast,  a  few  cruises  in  which  no  actions  of  moment 
occurred,  although  several  prizes  were  taken,  make  up  the  record  of 
naval  activity  for  the  year. 

The  first  of  these  cruises  was  that  made  in  April  by  the  ships 
"Warren,"  "  Queen  of  France,"  and  "Ranger."  They  sailed  from 
Boston,  and  were  out  but  a  few  days  when  they  captured  a  British 
privateer  of  fourteen  guns.  From  one  of  the  sailors  on  this  craft  it  was 
learned  that  a  large  fleet  of  transports  and  storeships  had  just  sailed 
from  New  York,  bound  for  Georgia.  Crowding  on  all  sail,  the  Americans 
set  out  in  pursuit,  and  off  Cape  Henry  overhauled  the  chase.  Two  fleets 
were  sighted,  one  to  windward  numbering  nine  sail,  and  one  to  leeward 
made  up  of  ten  sail.  The  pursuers  chose  the  fleet  to  windward  for  their 
prey,  and  by  sharp  work  succeeded  in  capturing  seven  vessels  in  eight 
hours.  Two  of  the  ships  were  armed  cruisers  of  twenty-nine  and  sixteen 
guns  respectively,  and  all  the  prizes  were  heavy  laden  with  provisions, 
ammunition,  and  cavalry  accoutrements.  All  were  safely  taken  into  port. 

In  June,  another  fleet  of  United  States  vessels  left  Boston  in  search 
of  British  game.  The  "  Queen  of  France "  and  the  "  Ranger "  were 
again  employed ;  but  the  "  Warren "  remained  in  port,  fitting  out  for  her 
ill-fated  expedition  to  the  Penobscot.  Her  place  was  taken  by  the 
<(  Providence,"  thirty-two.  For  a  time  the  cruisers  fell  in  with  nothing 
of  importance.  But  one  day  about  the  middle  of  July,  as  the  three 
vessels  lay  hove  to  off  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  in  the  region  of 
perpetual  fog,  the  dull  booming  of  a  signal  gun  was  heard.  Nothing  was 
to  be  seen  on  any  side.  From  the  quarter-deck,  and  from  the  cross-trees 
alike,  the  eager  eyes  of  the  officers  and  seamen  strove  in  vain  to  pene 
trate  the  dense  curtain  of  gray  fog  that  shut  them  in.  But  again  the 
signal  gun  sounded,  then  another ;  and  tone  and  direction  alike  told  that 
the  two  reports  had  not  come  from  the  same  cannon.  Then  a  bell  was 
heard  telling  the  hour,  —  another,  still  another;  then  a  whole  chorus  of 
bells.  Clearly  a  large  fleet  was  shut  in  the  fog. 

About    eleven    o'clock    in    the    morning    the   fog   lifted,    and    to   their 


SHORTENING  SAIL    ON   THE   "  LANCASTER  "-THE   OLDEST 
U.S.  CRUISER    IN   COMMISSION 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76.  155 

intense  surprise  the  crew  of  the  "  Queen  of  France "  found  themselves 
close  alongside  of  a  large  merchant-ship.  As  the  fog  cleared  away  more 
completely,  ships  appeared  on  every  side ;  and  the  astonished  Yankees 
found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  a  fleet  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
sail  under  convoy  of  a  British  ship-of-the-line,  and  several  frigates  and 
sloops-of-war.  Luckily  the  United  States  vessels  had  no  colors  flying, 
and  nothing  about  them  to  betray  their  nationality :  so  Capt.  Rathburn 
of  the  "Queen"  determined  to  try  a  little  masquerading. 

Bearing  down  upon  the  nearest  merchantman,  he  hailed  her ;  and  the 
following  conversation  ensued,  — 

"What  fleet  is  this?" 

"British  merchantmen  from  Jamaica,  bound  for  London.  Who  are 
you  ? " 

"His  Majesty's  ship  ' Arethusa,' "  answered  Rathburn  boldly,  "from 
Halifax  on  cruise.  Have  you  seen  any  Yankee  privateers  ? " 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  was  the  response.  "Several  have  been  driven  out  of 
the  fleet." 

"Come  aboard  the  'Arethusa,'  then.     I  wish  to  consult  with  you." 

Soon  a  boat  put  off  from  the  side  of  the  merchantman,  and  a  jolly 
British  sea-captain  confidently  clambered  to  the  deck  of  the  "  Queen." 
Great  was  his  astonishment  to  be  told  that  he  was  a  prisoner,  and  to 
see  his  boat's  crew  brought  aboard,  and  their  places  taken  by  American 
jackies.  Back  went  the  boat  to  the  British  ship  ;  and  soon  the  Ameri 
cans  were  in  control  of  the  craft,  without  in  the  least  alarming  the  other 
vessels,  that  lay  almost  within  hail.  The  "  Queen "  then  made  up  to 
another  ship,  and  captured  her  in  the  same  manner. 

But  at  this  juncture  Commodore  Whipple,  in  the  "Providence,"  hailed 
the  "Queen,"  and  directed  Rathburn  to  edge  out  of  the  fleet  before  the 
British  men-of-war  should  discover  his  true  character.  Rathburn  pro 
tested  vigorously,  pointing  out  the  two  vessels  he  had  captured,  and 
urging  Whipple  to  follow  his  example,  and  capture  as  many  vessels  as 
he  could  in  the  same  manner.  Finally  Whipple  overcame  his  fears,  and 
adopted  Rathburn's  methods,  with  such  success  that  shortly  after  night 
fall  the  Americans  left  the  fleet,  taking  with  them  eleven  rich  prizes. 
Eight  of  these  they  succeeded  in  taking  safe  to  Boston,  where  they 
were  sold  for  more  than  a  million  dollars. 


156  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

In  May,  1779,  occurred  two  unimportant  engagements,  —  one  off  Sandy 
Hook,  in  which  the  United  States  sloop  "  Providence,"  ten  guns,  cap 
tured  the  British  sloop  "Diligent,"  after  a  brief  but  spirited  engagement; 
the  second  action  occurred  off  St.  Kitt's,  where  the  United  States  brig 
"  Retaliation  "  successfully  resisted  a  vigorous  attack  by  a  British  cutter 
and  a  brig.  The  record  of  the  regular  navy  for  the  year  closed  with 
the  cruise  of  the  United  States  frigates  "Deane"  and  "Boston,"  that 
set  sail  from  the  Delaware  late  in  the  summer.  They  kept  the  seas  for 
nearly  three  months,  but  made  only  a  few  bloodless  captures. 

The  next  year  opened  with  a  great  disaster  to  the  American  cause. 
The  Count  d'Estaing,  after  aimlessly  wandering  up  and  down  the  coast 
of  the  United  States  with  the  fleet  ostensibly  sent  to  aid  the  Americans, 
suddenly  took  himself  and  his  fleet  off  to  the  West  Indies.  Sir  Henry 
Clinton  soon  learned  of  the  departure  of  the  French,  and  gathered  an 
expedition  for  the  capture  of  Charleston.  On  the  loth  of  February. 
Clinton  with  five  thousand  troops,  and  a  British  fleet  under  Admiral 
Arbuthnot,  appeared  off  Edisto  Inlet,  about  thirty  miles  from  Charleston, 
and  began  leisurely  preparations  for  an  attack  upon  the  city.  Had  he 
pushed  ahead  and  made  his  assault  at  once,  he  would  have  met  but 
little  resistance ;  but  his  delay  of  over  a  month  gave  the  people  of 
Charleston  time  to  prepare  for  a  spirited  resistance. 

The  approach  of  the  British  fleet  penned  up  in  Charleston  harbor 
several  United  States  men-of-war  and  armed  vessels,  among  them  the 
"Providence,"  "Queen  of  France,"  "Boston,"  "Ranger,"  "Gen.  Moultrie," 
and  "  Notre  Dame."  These  vessels  took  an  active  part  in  the  defence 
of  the  harbor  against  Arbuthnot's  fleet,  but  were  beaten  back.  The 
"Queen,"  the  "Gen.  Moultrie,"  and  the  "Notre  Dame"  were  then  sunk 
in  the  channel  to  obstruct  the  progress  of  the  enemy ;  their  guns  being 
taken  ashore,  and  mounted  in  the  batteries  on  the  sea-wall.  Then  followed 
days  of  terror  for  Charleston.  The  land  forces  of  the  enemy  turned 
siege  guns  on  the  unhappy  city,  and  a  constant  bombardment  was  kept 
up  from  the  hostile  fleet.  Fort  Sumter,  the  batteries  along  the  water 
front,  and  the  ships  remaining  to  the  Americans  answered  boldly.  But 
the  defence  was  hopeless.  The  city  was  hemmed  in  by  an  iron  cordon. 
The  hot-shot  of  the  enemy's  batteries  were  falling  in  the  streets,  and 
flames  were  breaking  out  in  all  parts  of  the  town.  While  the  defence 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  157 


lasted,  the  men-of-war  took  an  active  part  in  it ;  and,  indeed,  the  sailors 
were  the  last  to  consent  to  a  surrender.  So  noticeable  was  the  activity 
of  the  frigate  "  Boston  "  in  particular,  that,  when  it  became  evident  that 
the  Americans  could  hold  out  but  a  little  longer,  Admiral  Arbuthnot 
sent  her  commander  a  special  order  to  surrender. 

"I  do  not  think  much  of  striking  my  flag  to  your  present  force," 
responded  bluff  Samuel  Tucker,  who  commanded  the  "  Boston  ; "  "  for  I 
have  struck  more  of  your  flags  than  are  now  flying  in  this  harbor." 

But,  despite  this  bold  defiance,  the  inevitable  capitulation  soon  followed. 
Charleston  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British  ;  and  with  the  city  went  the 
three  men-of-war,  "  Providence,"  "  Boston,"  and  "  Ranger." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  this  disaster  was  the  direct  result  of  the 
disappearance  of  Count  d'Estaing  and  the  French  fleet.  To  the  student 
of  history  who  calmly  considers  the  record  of  our  French  naval  allies  in 
the  Revolution,  there  appears  good  reason  to  believe  that  their  presence 
did  us  more  harm  than  good.  Under  De  Grasse,  the  French  fleet  did 
good  service  in  co-operation  with  the  allied  armies  in  the  Yorktown 
campaign ;  but,  with  this  single  exception,  no  instance  can  be  cited  of 
any  material  aid  rendered  by  it  to  the  American  cause.  The  United 
States  navy,  indeed,  suffered  on  account  of  the  French  alliance;  for 
despite  the  loss  of  many  vessels  in  1779  and  1780,  Congress  refused  to 
increase  the  navy  in  any  way,  trusting  to  France  to  care  for  America's 
interests  on  the  seas.  The  result  of  this  policy  was  a  notable  falling-off 
in  the  number  and  spirit  of  naval  actions. 

The  ship  "  Trumbull,"  twenty-eight,  one  of  the  exploits  of  which  we 
have  already  chronicled,  saw  a  good  deal  of  active  service  during  the 
last  two  years  of  the  war;  and  though  she  finally  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy,  it  was  only  because  the  odds  against  her  were  not  to  be 
overcome  by  the  most  spirited  resistance.  It  was  on  the  2d  of  June, 
1780,  that  the  "Trumbull,"  while  cruising  far  out  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
in  the  path  of  British  merchantmen  bound  for  the  West  Indies,  sighted 
a  strange  sail  hull  down  to  windward.  The  "  Trumbull "  was  then  in 
command  of  Capt.  James  Nicholson,  an  able  and  plucky  officer.  Imme 
diately  on  hearing  the  report  of  the  lookout,  Nicholson  ordered  all  the 
canvas  furled,  in  order  that  the  stranger  might  not  catch  sight  of 

the  "Trumbull."     It  is,  of  course,  obvious   that  a  ship   under  bare   poles 
8 


158  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

is  a  far  less  conspicuous  object  upon  the  ocean,  than  is  the  same  ship 
with  her  yards  hung  with  vast  clouds  of  snowy  canvas.  But  apparently 
the  stranger  sighted  the  "  Trumbull,"  and  had  no  desire  to  avoid  her ; 
for  she  bore  down  upon  the  American  ship  rapidly,  and  showed  no 
desire  to  avoid  a  meeting.  Seeing  this,  Nicholson  made  sail,  and  was 
soon  close  to  the  stranger.  As  the  two  ships  drew  closer  together,  the 
stranger  showed  her  character  by  firing  three  guns,  and  hoisting  the  British 
colors. 

Seeing  an  action  impending,  Nicholson  called  his  crew  aft  and 
harangued  them,  as  was  the  custom  before  going  into  battle.  It  was 
not  a  promising  outlook  for  the  American  ship.  She  was  but  recently 
out  of  port,  and  was  manned  largely  by  "  green  hands."  The  privateers 
had  so  thoroughly  stripped  the  decks  of  able  seamen,  that  the  "Trum 
bull  "  had  to  ship  men  who  knew  not  one  rope  from  another ;  and  it  is 
even  said,  that,  when  the  drums  beat  to  quarters  the  day  of  the  battle, 
many  of  the  sailors  were  suffering  from  the  landsman's  terror,  seasickness. 
But  what  they  lacked  in  experience,  they  made  up  in  enthusiasm. 

With  the  British  flag  at  the  peak,  the  "Trumbull"  bore  down  upon 
the  enemy.  But  the  stranger  was  not  to  be  deceived  by  so  hackneyed 
a  device.  He  set  a  private  signal,  and,  as  the  Americans  did  not  answer 
it,  let  fly  a  broadside  at  one  hundred  yards  distance.  The  "Trumbull" 
responded  with  spirit,  and  the  stars  and  stripes  went  fluttering  to  the 
peak  in  the  place  of  the  British  ensign.  Then  the  thunder  of  battle  con 
tinued  undiminished  for  two  hours  and  a  half.  The  wind  was  light,  $nd 
the  vessels  rode  on  an  even  keel  nearly  abreast  of  each  other,  and  but 
fifty  yards  apart.  At  times  their  yard-arms  interlocked ;  and  still  the 
heavy  broadsides  rang  out,  and  the  flying  shot  crashed  through  beam 
and  stanchion,  striking  down  the  men  at  their  guns,  and  covering  the 
decks  with  blood.  Twice  the  flying  wads  of  heavy  paper  from  the 
enemy's  guns  set  the  "Trumbull"  afire,  and  once  the  British  ship  was 
endangered  by  the  same  cause. 

At  last  the  fire  of  the  enemy  slackened,  and  the  Americans,  seeing 
victory  within  their  grasp,  redoubled  their  efforts ;  but  at  this  critical 
moment  one  of  the  gun-deck  officers  came  running  to  Nicholson,  with 
the  report  that  the  main-mast  had  been  repeatedly  hit  by  the  enemy's 
shot,  and  was  now  tottering.  If  the  main-mast  went  by  the  board,  the 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  159 

fate  of  the  "Trumbull"  was  sealed.  Crowding  sail  on  the  other  masts, 
the  " Trumbull"  shot  ahead,  and  was  soon  out  of  the  line  of  fire,  the 
enemy  being  apparently  too  much  occupied  with  his  own  injuries  to 
molest  her.  Hardly  had  she  gone  the  distance  of  a  musket-shot,  when 
her  main  and  mizzen  top-masts  went  by  the  board ;  and  before  the  nimble 
jackies  could  cut  away  the  wreck  the  other  spars  followed,  until  nothing 
was  left  but  the  fore-mast.  When  the  crashing  and  confusion  was  over, 
the  "Trumbull"  lay  a  pitiable  wreck,  and  an  easy  prey  for  her  foe. 

But  the  Briton  showed  a  strange  disinclination  to  take  advantage  of 
the  opportunity.  The  Yankee  sailors  worked  like  mad  in  cutting  away 
the  wreck ;  then  rushed  to  their  guns,  ready  to  make  a  desperate,  if 
hopeless,  resistance  in  case  of  an  attack.  But  the  attack  never  came. 
Without  even  a  parting  shot  the  enemy  went  off  on  her  course ;  and 
before  she  was  out  of  sight  her  main  top-mast  was  seen  to  fall,  showing 
that  she  too  had  suffered  in  the  action. 

Not  for  months  after  did  the  crew  of  the  "Trumbull"  learn  the 
name  of  the  vessel  they  had  fought.  At  last  it  was  learned  that  she 
was  a  heavy  letter-of-marque,  the  "Watt."  Her  exact  weight  of  metal 
has  never  been  ascertained,  though  Capt.  Nicholson  estimated  it  at  thirty 
four  or  thirty-six  guns.  The  "Trumbull"  mounted  thirty-six  guns.  The 
captain  of  the  "Watt"  reported  his  loss  to  have  been  ninety-two  in 
killed  and  wounded ;  the  loss  of  the  "  Trumbull "  amounted  to  thirty- 
nine,  though  two  of  her  lieutenants  were  among  the  slain.  This  action, 
in  severity,  ranked  next  to  the  famous  naval  duel  between  the  "Bon 
Homme  Richard"  and  the  "Serapis." 

As  the  "  Trumbull "  fought  her  last  battle  under  the  flag  of  the 
United  States  a  year  later,  and  as  our  consideration  of  the  events  of 
the  Revolution  is  drawing  to  a  close,  we  may  abandon  chronological 
order,  and  follow  Nicholson  and  his  good  ship  to  the  end  of  their  career. 
In  August,  1781,  the  "Trumbull"  left  the  Delaware,  convoying  twenty- 
eight  merchantmen,  and  accompanied  by  one  privateer.  Again  her  crew 
was  weakened  by  the  scarcity  of  good  seamen,  and  this  time  Nicholson 
had  adopted  the  dangerous  and  indefensible  expedient  of  shipping  British 
prisoners-of-war.  There  were  fifty  of  these  renegades  in  the  crew ;  and 
naturally,  as  they  were  ready  to  traitorously  abandon  their  own  country, 
they  were  equally  ready  for  treachery  to  the  flag  under  which  they 


160  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

sailed.  There  were  many  instances  during  the  Revolution  of  United 
States  ships  being  manned  largely  by  British  prisoners.  Usually  the 
crews  thus  obtained  were  treacherous  and  insubordinate.  Even  if  it  had 
been  otherwise,  the  custom  was  a  bad  one,  and  repugnant  to  honorable 
men. 

So  with  a  crew  half-trained  and  half-disaffected,  the  "Trumbull"  set 
out  to  convoy  a  fleet  of  merchantmen  through  waters  frequented  by 
British  men-of-war.  Hardly  had  she  passed  the  capes  when  three  British 
cruisers  were  made  out  astern.  One,  a  frigate,  gave  chase.  Night  fell, 
and  in  the  darkness  the  "  Trumbull "  might  have  escaped  with  her 
charges,  but  that  a  violent  squall  struck  her,  carrying  away  her  fore* 
top-mast  and  main-top-gallant-mast.  Her  convoy  scattered  in  all  directions, 
and  by  ten  o'clock  the  British  frigate  had  caught  up  with  the  disabled 
American, 

The  night  was  still  squally,  with  bursts  of  rain  and  fitful  flashes  of 
lightning,  which  lighted  up  the  decks  of  the  American  ship  as  she  tossed 
on  the  waves.  The  storm  had  left  her  in  a  sadly  disabled  condition. 
The  shattered  top  hamper  had  fallen  forward,  cumbering  up  the  fore 
castle,  and  so  tangling  the  bow  tackle  that  the  jibs  were  useless.  The 
foresail  was  jammed  and  torn  by  the  fore-topsail-yard.  There  was  half  a 
day's  work  necessary  to  clear  away  the  wreck,  and  the  steadily  advancing 
lights  of  the  British  ship  told  that  not  half  an  hour  could  be  had  to 
prepare  for  the  battle. 

There  was  no  hope  that  resistance  could  be  successful,  but  the  brave 
hearts  of  Nicholson  and  his  officers  recoiled  from  the  thought  of  tamely 
striking  the  flag  without  firing  a  shot.  So  the  drummers  were  ordered 
to  beat  the  crew  to  quarters ;  and  soon,  by  the  light  of  the  battle-lanterns, 
the  captains  of  the  guns  were  calling  over  the  names  of  the  sailors. 
The  roll-call  had  proceeded  but  a  short  time  when  it  became  evident 
that  most  of  the  British  renegades  were  absent  from  their  stations.  The 
officers  and  marines  went  below  to  find  them.  While  they  were  absent, 
others  of  the  renegades,  together  with  about  half  of  the  crew  whom  they 
had  tainted  with  their  mutinous  plottings,  put  out  the  battle-lanterns, 
and  hid  themselves  deep  in  the  hold.  At  this  moment  the  enemy  came 
up,  and  opened  fire. 

Determined   to  make  some  defence,  Nicholson   sent  the  few  faithful 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  161 

jackies  to  the  guns,  and  the  officers  worked  side  by  side  with  the  sailors. 
The  few  guns  that  were  manned  were  served  splendidly,  and  the  unequal 
contest  was  maintained  for  over  an  hour,  when  a  second  British  man-of- 
war  came  up,  and  the  "Trumbull"  was  forced  to  strike.  At  no  time 
had  more  than  forty  of  her  people  been  at  the  guns.  To  this  fact  is 
due  the  small  loss  of  life ;  for,  though  the  ship  was  terribly  cut  up,  only 
five  of  her  crew  were  killed,  and  eleven  wounded. 

The  frigate  that  had  engaged  the  "Trumbull"  was  the  "  Iris,"  for 
merly  the  "  Hancock  "  captured  from  the  Americans  by  the  "  Rainbow." 
She  was  one  of  the  largest  of  the  American  frigates,  while  the  "Trum 
bull  "  was  one  of  the  smallest.  The  contest,  therefore,  would  have  been 
unequal,  even  had  not  so  many  elements  of  weakness  contributed  to  the 
"  Trumbull's  "  discomfiture. 

Taking  up  again  the  thread  of  our  narrative  of  the  events  of  1780, 
we  find  that  for  three  months  after  the  action  between  the  "  Trumbull " 
and  the  "Watt"  there  were  no  naval  actions  of  moment.  Not  until 
October  did  a  United  States  vessel  again  knock  the  tompions  from  her 
guns,  and  give  battle  to  an  enemy.  During  that  month  the  cruiser 
"Saratoga"  fell  in  with  a  hostile  armed  ship  and  two  brigs.  The  action 
that  followed  was  brief,  and  the  triumph  of  the  Americans  complete. 
One  broadside  was  fired  by  the  "  Saratoga  ;  "  then,  closing  with  her  foe, 
she  threw  fifty  men  aboard,  who  drove  the  enemy  below.  But  the 
gallant  Americans  were  not  destined  to  profit  by  the  results  of  their 
victory ;  for,  as  they  were  making  for  the  Delaware,  the  British  seventy- 
four  "  Intrepid "  intercepted  them,  and  recaptured  all  the  prizes.  The 
"  Saratoga  "  escaped  capture,  only  to  meet  a  sadder  fate ;  for,  as  she  never 
returned  to  port,  it  is  supposed  that  she  foundered  with  all  on  board. 

The  autumn  and  winter  passed  without  any  further  exploits  on  the 
part  of  the  navy.  The  number  of  the  regular  cruisers  had  been  sadly 
diminished,  and  several  were  kept  blockaded  in  home  ports.  Along  the 
American  coast  the  British  cruisers  fairly  swarmed ;  and  the  only  chance 
for  the  few  Yankee  ships  afloat  was  to  keep  at  sea  as  much  as  possible, 
and  try  to  intercept  the  enemy's  privateers,  transports,  and  merchantmen, 
on  their  way  across  the  ocean. 

One  United  States  frigate,  and  that  one  a  favorite  ship  in  the  navy, 
was  ordered  abroad  in  February,  1781,  and  on  her  voyage  did  some 


l62  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

brave  work  for  her  country.  This  vessel  was  the  "  Alliance/*  once  under 
the  treacherous  command  of  the  eccentric  Landais,  and  since  his  dis< 
missal  commanded  by  Capt.  John  Barry,  of  whose  plucky  fight  in  the 
"  Raleigh  "  we  have  already  spoken.  The  "  Alliance  "  sailed  from  Boston, 
carrying  an  army  officer  on  a  mission  to  France.  She  made  the  voyage 
without  sighting  an  enemy.  Having  landed  her  passenger,  she  set  out 
from  TOrient,  with  the  "  Lafayette/'  forty,  in  company.  The  two  cruised 
together  for  three  days,  capturing  two  heavy  privateers.  They  then 
parted,  and  the  "Alliance"  continued  her  cruise  alone. 

On  the  28th  of  May  the  lookout  reported  two  sail  in  sight ;  and  soon 
the  strangers  altered  their  course,  and  bore  down  directly  upon  the 
American  frigate.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  darkness  set  in 
before  the  strangers  were  near  enough  for  their  character  to  be  made 
out.  At  dawn  all  eyes  on  the  "Alliance"  scanned  the  ocean  in  search 
of  the  two  vessels,  which  were  then  easily  seen  to  be  a  sloop-of-war  and 
a  brig.  Over  each  floated  the  British  colors. 

A  dead  calm  rested  upon  the  waters.  Canvas  was  spread  on  all  the 
ships,  but  flapped  idly  against  the  yards.  Not  the  slightest  motion  could 
be  discerned,  and  none  of  the  ships  had  steerage-way.  The  enemy  had 
evidently  determined  to  fight ;  for  before  the  sun  rose  red  and  glowing 
from  beneath  the  horizon,  sweeps  were  seen  protruding  from  the  sides 
of  the  two  ships,  and  they  gradually  began  to  lessen  the  distance  between 
them  and  the  American  frigate.  Capt.  Barry  had  no  desire  to  avoid  the 
conflict ;  though  in  a  calm,  the  lighter  vessels,  being  manageable  with 
sweeps,  had  greatly  the  advantage  of  the  "  Alliance,"  which  coirld  only  lie 
like  a  log  upon  the  water.  Six  hours  of  weary  work  with  the  sweeps 
passed  before  the  enemy  came  near  enough  to  hail.  The  usual  questions 
and  answers  were  followed  by  the  roar  of  the  cannon,  and  the  action  began. 
The  prospects  for  the  "  Alliance "  were  dreary  indeed ;  for  the  enemy 
took  positions  on  the  quarters  of  the  helpless  ship,  and  were  able  to 
pour  in  broadsides,  while  she  could  respond  only  with  a  few  of  her 
aftermost  guns.  But,  though  the  case  looked  hopeless,  the  Americans 
fought  on,  hoping  that  a  wind  might  spring  up,  that  would  give  the  good 
ship  "Alliance"  at  least  a  fighting  chance. 

As  Barry  strode  the  quarter-deck,  watching  the  progress  of  the  fight, 
encouraging  his  men,  and  looking  out  anxiously  for  indications  of  a  wind, 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  163 


a  grape-shot  struck  him  in  the  shoulder,  and  felled  him  to  the  deck. 
He  was  on  his  feet  again  in  an  instant ;  and  though  weakened  by  the 
pain,  and  the  rapid  flow  of  blood  from  the  wound,  he  remained  on  deck. 
At  last,  however,  he  became  too  weak  to  stand,  and  was  carried  below. 
At  this  moment  a  flying  shot  carried  away  the  American  colors  ;  and,  as 
the  fire  of  the  "  Alliance  "  was  stopped  a  moment  for  the  loading  of  the 
guns,  the  enemy  thought  the  victory  won,  and  cheered  lustily.  But  their 
triumph  was  of  short  duration ;  for  a  new  ensign  soon  took  the  place  of 
the  vanished  one,  and  the  fire  of  the  "Alliance"  commenced  again. 

The  "Alliance"  was  now  getting  into  sore  straits.  The  fire  of  the 
enemy  had  told  heavily  upon  her,  and  her  fire  in  return  had  done  but 
little  visible  damage.  As  Capt.  Barry  lay  on  his  berth,  enfeebled  by  the 
pain  of  his  wound,  and  waiting  for  the  surgeon's  attention,  a  lieutenant 
entered. 

"  The  ship  remains  unmanageable,  sir,"  said  he.  "  The  rigging  is 
badly  cut  up,  and  there  is  danger  that  the  fore-top-mast  may  go  by  the 
board.  The  enemy's  fire  is  telling  on  the  hull,  and  the  carpenter  reports 
two  leaks.  Eight  or  ten  of  the  people  are  killed,  and  several  officers 
wounded.  Have  we  your  consent  to  striking  the  colors  ? " 

"No,  sir,"  roared  out  Barry,  sitting  bolt  upright.  "And,  if  this  ship 
can't  be  fought  without  me,  I  will  be  carried  on  deck." 

The  lieutenant  returned  with  his  report ;  and,  when  the  story  became 
known  to  the  crew,  the  jackies  cheered  for  their  dauntless  commander. 

"We'll  stand  by  the  old  man,  lads,"  said  one  of  the  petty  officers. 

"  Ay.  ay;  that  we  will !  We'll  stick  to  him  right  manfully,"  was  the 
hearty  response. 

But  now  affairs  began  to  look  more  hopeful  for  the  "Alliance."  Far 
away  a  gentle  rippling  of  the  water  rapidly  approaching  the  ship  gave 
promise  of  wind.  The  quick  eye  of  an  old  boatswain  caught  sight  of  it 
"A  breeze,  a  breeze!"  he  cried;  and  the  jackies  took  up  the  shout,  and 
sprang  to  their  stations  at  the  ropes,  ready  to  take  advantage  of  the 
coming  gust.  Soon  the  breeze  arrived,  the  idly  flapping  sails  filled  out, 
the  helmsman  felt  the  responsive  pressure  of  the  water  as  he  leaned 
upon  the  wheel,  the  gentle  ripple  of  the  water  alongside  gladdened  the 
ears  of  the  blue-jackets,  the  ship  keeled  over  to  leeward,  then  swung 
around  responsive  to  her  helm,  and  the  first  effective  broadside  went 


1 64  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

crashing  into  the  side  of  the  nearest  British  vessel.  After  that,  the 
conflict  was  short.  Though  the  enemy  had  nearly  beaten  the  "Alliance" 
in  the  calm,  they  were  no  match  for  her  when  she  was  able  to 
manoeuvre.  Their  resistance  was  plucky ;  but  when  Capt.  Barry  came 
on  deck,  with  his  wound  dressed,  he  was  just  in  time  to  see  the  flags  of 
both  vessels  come  fluttering  to  the  deck. 

The  two  prizes  proved  to  be  the  "Atlanta"  sixteen,  and  the 
"  Trepassy  "  fourteen.  Both  were  badly  cut  up,  and  together  had  suffered 
a  loss  of  forty-one  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  On  the  "  Alliance  "  were 
eleven  dead,  and  twenty-one  wounded.  As  the  capture  of  the  two  vessels 
threw  about  two  hundred  prisoners  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans, 
and  as  the  "Alliance"  was  already  crowded  with  captives,  Capt.  Barry 
made  a  cartel  of  the  "  Trepassy,"  and  sent  her  into  an  English  port 
with  all  the  prisoners.  The  "Atlanta"  he  manned  with  a  prize  crew, 
and  sent  to  Boston ;  but  she  unluckily  fell  in  with  a  British  cruiser  in 
Massachusetts  Bay,  and  was  retaken. 

Once  more  before  the  cessation  of  hostilities  between  Great  Britain 
and  the  United  States  threw  her  out  of  commission,  did  the  "Alliance" 
exchange  shots  with  a  hostile  man-of-war.  It  was  in  1782,  when  the 
noble  frigate  was  engaged  in  bringing  specie  from  the  West  Indies. 
She  had  under  convoy  a  vessel  loaded  with  supplies,  and  the  two  had 
hardly  left  Havana  when  some  of  the  enemy's  ships  caught  sight  of 
them,  and  gave  chase.  While  the  chase  was  in  progress,  a  fifty-gun  ship 
hove  in  sight,  and  was  soon  made  out  to  be  a  French  frigate.  Feeling 
that  he  had  an  ally  at  hand,  Barry  now  wore  ship,  and 'attacked  the 
leading  vessel,  and  a  spirited  action  followed,  until  the  enemy,  finding 
himself  hard  pressed,  signalled  for  his  consorts,  and  Barry,  seeing  that 
the  French  ship  made  no  sign  of  coming  to  his  aid,  drew  off. 

Irritated  by  the  failure  of  the  French  frigate  to  come  to  his  assist 
ance,  Barry  bore  down  upon  her  and  hailed.  The  French  captain 
declared  that  the  manoeuvres  of  the  "Alliance"  and  her  antagonist  had 
made  him  suspect  that  the  engagement  was  only  a  trick  to  draw  him 
into  the  power  of  the  British  fleet.  He  had  feared  that  the  "Alliance" 
had  been  captured,  and  was  being  used  as  a  decoy ;  but  now  that  vhe 
matter  was  made  clear  to  him,  he  would  join  the  "Alliance"  in  pursuit 
of  the  enemy.  This  he  did ;  but  Barry  soon  found  that  the  fifty  was  so 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  165 

slow  a  sailer,  that  the  "Alliance"  might  catch  up  with  the  British  fleet, 
and  be  knocked  to  pieces  by  their  guns,  before  the  Frenchman  could 
get  within  range.  Accordingly  he  abandoned  the  chase  in  disgust,  and 
renewed  his  homeward  course.  Some  years  later,  an  American  gentle 
man  travelling  in  Europe  met  the  British  naval  officer  who  commanded 
the  frigate  which  Barry  had  engaged.  This  officer,  then  a  vice-admiral, 
declared  that  he  had  never  before  seen  a  ship  so  ably  fought  as  was 
the  "Alliance,"  and  acknowledged  that  the  presence  of  his  consorts  alone 
saved  him  a  drubbing. 

This  engagement  was  the  last  fought  by  the  "Alliance"  during  the 
Revolution,  and  with  it  we  practically  complete  our  narrative  of  the  work 
of  the  regular  navy  during  that  war.  One  slight  disaster  to  the  American 
cause  alone  remains  to  be  mentioned.  The  "Confederacy,"  a  thirty- 
two-gun  frigate  built  in  1778,  was  captured  by  the  enemy  in  1781.  She 
was  an  unlucky  ship,  having  been  totally  dismasted  on  her  first  cruise, 
and  captured  by  an  overwhelming  force  on  her  second. 

Though  this  chapter  completes  the  story  of  the  regular  navy  during 
the  Revolution,  there  remain  many  important  naval  events  to  be  described 
in  an  ensuing  chapter.  The  work  of  the  ships  fitted  out  by  Congress 
was  aided  greatly  by  the  armed  cruisers  furnished  by  individual  States, 
and  privateers.  Some  of  the  exploits  of  these  crafts  and  some  desultory 
maritime  hostilities  we  shall  describe  in  the  next  chapter.  And  if  the 
story  of  the  United  States  navy,  as  told  in  these  few  chapters,  seems 
a  record  of  events  trivial  as  compared  with  the  gigantic  naval  struggles 
of  1812  and  1861,  it  must  be  remembered  that  not  only  were  naval 
architecture  and  ordnance  in  their  infancy  in  1776,  but  that  the  country 
was  young,  and  its  sailors  unused  to  the  ways  of  war.  But  that  coun 
try,  young  as  it  was,  produced  Paul  Jones ;  and  it  is  to  be  questioned 
whether  any  naval  war  since  has  brought  forth  a  braver  or  nobler,  naval 
officer,  or  one  more  skilled  in  the  handling  of  a  single  ship-of-war. 

The  result  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution  is  known  to  all.  A  new 
nation  was  created  by  it.  These  pages  will  perhaps  convince  their 
readers  that  to  the  navy  was  due  somewhat  the  creation  of  that  nation. 
And  if  to-day,  in  its  power  and  might,  the  United  States  seems  inclined 
to  throw  off  the  navy  and  belittle  its  importance,  let  the  memory  of 
Paul  Jones  and  his  colleagues  be  conjured  up,  to  awaken  the  old 
enthusiasm  over  the  triumphs  of  the  stars  and  stripes  upon  the  waves. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


WORK  OF  THE  PRIVATEERS.  — THE  "GEN.  HANCOCK"  AND  THE  "  LEVANT."-  EXPLOITS  OF 
THE  "PICKERING."— THE  "  REVENGE."  —  THE  "HOLKAR"— THE  "CONGRESS"  AND  THE 
"SAVAGE."  — THE  "  HYDER  ALI  "  AND  THE  "GEN.  MONK."  — THE  WHALE-BOAT  HOSTILI 
TIES.— THE  OLD  JERSEY  PRISON-SHIP. 

O  CHRONICLE  in  full  the  myriad  exploits  and  experiences  of  the 
privateers  and  armed  cruisers  in  the  service  of  individual  states 
during  the  Revolution,  would  require  a  volume  thrice  the  size  of 
this.  Moreover,  it  is  difficult  and  well-nigh  impossible  to  obtain 
authentic  information  regarding  the  movements  of  this  class  of  armed 
craft.  An  immense  number  of  anecdotes  of  their  prowess  is  current,  and 
some  few  such  narratives  will  be  repeated  in  this  chapter  ;  but,  as  a  rule, 
they  are  based  only  upon  tradition,  or  the  imperfect  and  often  incorrect 
reports  in  the  newspapers  of  the  day. 

The  loss  inflicted  upon  Great  Britain  by  the  activity  of  American, 
privateers  was  colossal.  For  the  first  year  of  the  war  the  Continental 
Congress  was  unwilling  to  take  so  belligerent  a  step  as  to  encourage 
privateering;  but,  in  the  summer  of  1776,  the  issuing  of  letters  of  marque 
and  reprisal  was  begun,  and  in  a  short  time  all  New  England  had  gone  to 
privateering.  The  ocean  fairly  swarmed  with  trim  Yankee  schooners  and 
1 66 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  167 


brigs,  and  in  the  two  years  that  followed  nearly  eight  hundred  merchantmen 
were  taken. 

Discipline  on  the  privateers  was  lax,  and  the  profits  of  a  successful 
cruise  were  enormous.  Often  a  new  speedy  craft  paid  her  whole  cost  of 
construction  on  her  first  cruise.  The  sailors  fairly  revelled  in  money  at 
the  close  of  such  a  cruise  ;  and,  like  true  jack-tars,  they  made  their  money 
fly  as  soon  as  they  got  ashore.  A  few  days  would  generally  suffice  to 
squander  all  the  earnings  of  a  two-months'  cruise ;  and,  penniless  but 
happy,  Jack  would  ship  for  another  bout  with  fortune. 

A  volume  could  be  written  dealing  with  the  exploits  of  the  privateers, 
but  for  our  purpose  a  few  instances  of  their  dash  and  spirit  will  be  enough. 
Though  the  purpose  of  the  privateers  was  purely  mercenary,  their  chief 
end  and  aim  being  to  capture  defenceless  merchantmen,  yet  they  were 
always  ready  to  fight  when  fighting  was  necessary,  and  more  than  once 
made  a  good  showing  against  stronger  and  better  disciplined  naval  forces. 
In  many  cases  audacity  and  dash  more  than  made  up  for  the  lack  of 
strength. 

In  1777  two  American  privateers  hung  about  the  British  Isles,  making 
captures,  and  sending  their  prizes  into  French  ports.  The  exploits  of  Paul 
Jones  were  equalled  by  these  irregular  cruisers.  One  of  them,  being  in 
need  of  provisions,  put  into  the  little  Irish  port  of  Beerhaven,  and  lay 
at  anchor  for  ten  hours,  while  her  crew  scoured  the  town  in  search  of 
the  needed  stores.  A  second  privateer  boldly  entered  a  harbor  on  the 
Island  of  Guernsey.  A  castle  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  opened  fire 
upon  her,  whereupon  she  came  about,  and,  keeping  out  of  range  of  the 
castle  guns,  captured  a  large  brig  that  was  making  for  the  port.  When 
night  fell,  the  privateer  sent  a  boat's  crew  ashore,  and  took  captive  two 
officers  of  the  local  militia. 

In  1778  occurred  an  action  between  a  private  armed  ship  and  a  British 
frigate,  in  which  the  privateer  was  signally  successful.  On  the  iQth  of 
September  of  that  year,  the  "  Gen.  Hancock,"  a  stout-built,  well  armed 
and  manned  privateer,  fell  in  with  the  "  Levant,"  a  British  frigate  of  thirty- 
two  guns.  The  "  Hancock "  made  no  attempt  to  avoid  a  conflict,  and 
opened  with  a  broadside  without  answering  the  enemy's  hail.  The  action 
was  stubbornly  contested  upon  both  sides.  After  an  hour  of  fighting, 
the  captain  of  the  Yankee  ship,  peering  through  the  smoke,  saw  that  the 
colors  no  longer  w^ved  ?.bove  his  adversary. 


1 68  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 

"  Have  you  struck  ? "  he  shouted. 

"  No.  Fire  away,"  came  the  response  faintly  through  the  roar  of  the 
cannon.  Two  hours  longer  the  combat  raged,  with  the  ships  lying  yard-arm 
to  yard-arm.  A  ball  struck  Capt.  Hardy  of  the  "  Hancock "  in  the  neck, 
and  he  was  carried  below,  while  the  first  lieutenant  took  command  of  the 
ship.  A  few  minutes  later  there  arose  a  deafening  roar  and  blinding 
flash ;  a  terrific  shock  threw  the  men  on  the  American  ship  to  the  deck. 
Stifling  smoke  darkened  the  atmosphere ;  and  pieces  of  timber,  cordage, 
and  even  horribly  torn  bits  of  human  flesh  began  to  fall  upon  the  decks. 
When  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  Americans  looked  eagerly  for  their 
enemy.  Where  she  had  floated  a  minute  or  two  before,  was  now  a 
shattered,  blackened  hulk  fast  sinking  beneath  the  waves.  The  surface 
of  the  sea  for  yards  around  was  strewn  with  wreckage,  and  here  and  there 
men  could  be  seen  struggling  for  life.  As  ready  to  save  life  as  they  had 
been  to  destroy  it,  the  Americans  lowered  their  boats  and  pulled  about, 
picking  up  the  survivors  of  the  explosion.  The  boatswain  of  the  ill-fated 
ship  and  seventeen  of  the  crew  were  thus  saved,  but  more  than  fourscore 
brave  fellows  went  down  with  her.  The  American  vessel  herself  was 
damaged  not  a  little  by  the  violence  of  the  explosion. 

This  was  not  the  only  case  during  this  year  in  which  a  British  man-of- 
war  met  defeat  at  the  guns  of  a  Yankee  privateer.  The  "  Hinchinbrooke," 
sloop-of-war  fourteen ;  the  "  York,"  tender  twelve ;  and  the  "  Enterprise," 
ten  guns,  —  all  struck  their  colors  to  private  armed  vessels  flying  the 
stars  and  stripes. 

By  1778  the  privateers  under  the  British  flag  were  afloat  in  no  small 
number.  America  had  no  commerce  on  which  they  might  prey,  and 
they  looked  forward  only  to  recapturing  those  British  vessels  that  had 
been  taken  by  Yankee  privateers  and  sent  homeward.  That  so  many 
British  vessels  should  have  found  profitable  employment  in  this  pursuit, 
is  in  itself  a  speaking  tribute  to  the  activity  of  the  American  private 
armed  navy. 

During  the  Revolution,  as  during  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain  in 
1812,  Salem,  Mass.,  and  Baltimore,  Md.,  were  the  principal  points  from 
which  privateers  hailed.  In  all  the  early  wars  of  the  United  States,  the 
term  "Salem  privateer"  carried  with  it  a  picture  of  a  fleet  schooner, 
manned  with  a  picked  crew  of  able  seamen,  commanded  by  a  lanky  Yankee 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76.  169 

skipper  who  knew  the  byways  of  old  ocean  as  well  as  the  highways  of 
trade,  armed  with  eight,  four,  or  six  pounders,  and  a  heavy  "  Long  Tom  " 
amidships.  Scores  of  such  craft  sailed  from  Salem  during  the  Revolution ; 
and  hardly  a  week  passed  without  two  or  three  returning  privateers  entering 
the  little  port  and  discharging  their  crews,  to  keep  the  little  village  in  a 
turmoil  until  their  prize  money  was  spent,  or,  to  use  the  sailors'  phrase, 
until  "no  shot  was  left  in  the  locker." 

One  of  the  most  successful  of  the  Salem  privateers  was  the  "Pickering," 
a  craft  carrying  a  battery  of  sixteen  guns,  and  a  crew  of  forty-seven  men. 
On  one  cruise  she  fought  an  engagement  of  an  hour  and  a  half  with  a 
British  cutter  of  twenty  guns ;  and  so  roughly  did  she  handle  the  enemy, 
that  he  was  glad  to  sheer  off.  A  day  or  two  later,  the  "Pickering"  over 
hauled  the  "Golden  Eagle,"  a  large  schooner  of  twenty-two  guns  and  fifty- 
seven  men.  The  action  which  followed  was  ended  by  the  schooner  striking 
her  flag.  A  prize  crew  was  then  put  aboard  the  "  Golden  Eagle,"  and 
she  was  ordered  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  her  captor.  Three  days  later 
the  British  sloop-of-war  "Achilles"  hove  in  sight,  and  gave  chase  to  the 
privateer  and  her  prize.  After  a  fifteen  hours'  chase  the  prize  was  over 
hauled  ;  and  the  sloop-of-war,  after  taking  possession  of  her,  continued  in 
pursuit  of  the  privateer.  But  while  the  privateersmen  had  preferred  flight 
to  fighting  while  nothing  was  at  stake,  they  did  not  propose  to  let  their 
prize  be  taken  from  them  without  a  resistance,  however  great  the  odds 
against  them.  Accordingly  they  permitted  the  "  Achilles  "  to  overhaul 
them,  and  a  sharp  action  followed.  The  British  tried  to  force  the  combat  by 
boarding ;  but  the  Americans,  with  pikes  and  cutlasses,  drove  them  back  to 
their  own  ship.  Then  the  two  vessels  separated,  and  during  the  rest  of 
the  conflict  came  no  nearer  each  other  than  the  length  of  a  pistol-shot. 
At  this  distance  they  carried  on  a  spirited  cannonade  for  upwards  of  three 
hours,  when  the  "  Achilles,"  concluding  that  she  had  had  enough,  sheered 
off.  Thereupon,  the  "Pickering"  coolly  ran  back  to  her  late  prize,  took 
possession  of  her,  captured  the  lieutenant  and  prize  crew  that  the 
'•'  Achilles  "  had  put  in  charge  of  her,  and  continued  her  cruise. 

A  good  example  of  the  Baltimore  privateers  was  the  "  Revenge," 
mounting  eighteen  guns,  with  a  crew  of  fifty  men.  In  1780  this  vessel 
was  commanded  by  Capt.  Alexander  Murray  of  the  regular  navy.  She  was 
engaged  by  a  large  number  of  Baltimore  merchants  to  convoy  a  fleet 


1 70  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


of  merchantmen,  but  had  hardly  started  to  sea  with  her  charges  when 
she  fell  in  with  a  fleet  of  British  vessels,  and  was  forced  to  retreat  up  the 
Patuxent  River.  While  there,  the  American  fleet  was  strengthened  by 
several  privateers  and  armed  merchant-vessels  which  joined  it,  so  that  it 
was  felt  safe  to  try  again  to  get  to  sea.  Accordingly  the  attempt  was 
made;  but,  though  the  captains  of  the  fleet  had  signed  a  solemn  compact 
to  stand  together  in  case  of  the  danger,  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  fleet 
of  hostile  armed  vessels  sent  all  scurrying  up  the  Patuxent  again,  except 
one  brig  and  a  schooner.  The  British  fleet  consisted  of  a  ship  of  eighteen 
guns,  a  brig  of  sixteen,  and  three  privateer  schooners.  Leaving  the 
schooners  to  his  two  faithful  consorts,  Murray  threw  himself  between 
the  two  larger  vessels  and  the  flying  merchantmen.  Seeing  themselves 
thus  balked  of  their  prey,  the  enemy  turned  fiercely  upon  the  "  Revenge," 
but  were  met  with  so  spirited  a  resistance,  that  they  hauled  off  after  an 
hour's  fighting.  The  other  American  vessels  behaved  equally  well,  and 
the  discomfiture  of  the  British  was  complete. 

Philadelphia,  though  not  looked  upon  as  a  centre  of  privateering 
activity,  furnished  one  privateer  that  made  a  notable  record.  This  was 
the  "Holkar,"  sixteen  guns.  In  April,  1780,  she  captured  a  British 
schooner  of  ten  guns  ;  and  in  May  of  the  same  year  she  fought  a  desperate 
action  with  a  British  privateer  brig,  the  name  of  which  has  never  been 
ascertained.  Twice  the  Briton  sheered  off  to  escape  the  telling  fire  of  the 
American;  but  the  "  Holkar"  pressed  him  closely,  and  only  the  appearance 
of  a  second  British  armed  vessel  at  the  scene  of  the  action  saved  the 
Englishman  from  capture.  This  battle  was  one  of  the  most  sanguinary 
ever  fought  by  private  armed  vessels;  for  of  the  crew  of  the  "Holkar" 
six  were  killed  and  sixteen  wounded,  including  the  captain  and  first 
lieutenant,  while  of  the  enemy  there  were  about  the  same  number  killed 
and  twenty  wounded.  Three  months  later  this  same  privateer  fell  in  with 
the  British  sixteen-gun  cutter  "  Hypocrite,"  and  captured  her  after  a  sharp 
conflict. 

Perhaps  the  most  audacious  privateering  exploit  was  that  of  the 
privateers  "Hero,"  "Hope,"  and  "Swallow,"  in  July,  1782.  The  captains 
of  these  craft,  meeting  after  an  unprofitable  season  upon  the  high  seas, 
conceived  the  idea  of  making  a  descent  upon  the  Nova  Scotian  town  of 
Lunenberg,  some  thirty-five  miles  from  Halifax.  Little  time  was  wasted 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76.  I  71 

in  discussion.  Privateers  are  not  hampered  by  official  red  tape.  So  it 
happened  that  early  in  the  month  the  three  privateers  appeared  off  the 
harbor  of  the  threatened  town,  having  landed  a  shore  party  of  ninety  men. 
Before  the  invaders  the  inhabitants  retreated  rapidly,  making  some  slight 
resistance.  Two  block-houses,  garrisoned  by  British  regulars,  guarded 
the  town.  One  of  these  fortresses  the  Americans  burned,  whereupon  the 
British  established  themselves  in  the  second,  and  prepared  to  stand  a 
siege.  Luckily  for  the  Americans,  the  block-house  was  within  range  of 
the  harbor;  so  that  the  three  privateers  took  advantageous  positions,  and 
fired  a  few  rounds  of  solid  shot  into  the  enemy's  wooden  citadel.  The 
besieged  then  made  haste  to  raise  the  white  flag,  and  surrendered  them 
selves  prisoners-of-war.  When  the  Yankee  ships  left  the  harbor,  they 
took  with  them  a  large  quantity  of  merchandise  and  provisions,  and  a 
thousand  pounds  sterling  by  way  of  ransom. 

One  more  conflict,  in  which  the  irregular  naval  forces  of  the  United 
States  did  credit  to  themselves,  must  be  described  before  dismissing  the 
subject  of  privateering.  In  September,  1781,  the  British  sloop-of-war 
"  Savage "  was  cruising  off  the  southern  coast  of  the  United  States. 
Her  officers  and  men  were  in  a  particularly  good  humor,  and  felt  a  lively 
sense  of  self-satisfaction;  for  they  had  just  ascended  the  Potomac,  and 
plundered  Gen.  Washington's  estate, — an  exploit  which  would  make  them 
heroes  in  the  eyes  of  their  admiring  countrymen. 

Off  Charleston  the  "  Savage "  encountered  the  American  privateer 
"Congress,"  of  about  the  same  strength  as  herself,  —  twenty  guns  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men.  In  one  respect  the  "  Congress  "  was  the  weaker ; 
for  her  crew  was  composed  largely  of  landsmen,  and  her  marines  were  a 
company  of  militia,  most  of  whom  were  sadly  afflicted  with  seasickness. 
Nevertheless,  the  Yankee  craft  rushed  boldly  into  action,  opening  fire  with 
her  bow-chasers  as  soon  as  she  came  within  range.  Like  two  savage  bull 
dogs,  the  two  ships  rushed  at  each  other,  disdaining  all  manoeuvring,  and 
seemingly  intent  only  upon  locking  in  a  deadly  struggle,  yard-arm  to  yard- 
arm  At  first  the  "  Savage "  won  a  slight  advantage.  Swinging  across 
the  bow  of  the  "  Congress,"  she  raked  her  enemy  twice.  But  soon  the 
two  ships  lay  side  by  side,  and  the  thunder  of  the  cannon  was  constant. 
The  militia-marines  on  the  "  Congress  "  did  good  service.  Stationed  in  the 

tops,  on    the    forecastle,    the   quarter-deck,   and    every   elevated   place   on 

7 


I  72  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

the  ship,  they  poured  down  upon  the  deck  of  the  enemy  a  murderous  fire. 
The  jackies  at  the  great  guns  poured  in  broadsides  so  well  directed  that 
soon  the  "Savage"  had  not  a  rope  left  with  which  to  manage  the  sails. 
Her  quarter-deck  was  cleared,  and  not  a  man  was  to  be  seen  to  serve  as  a 
mark  for  the  American  gunners.  So  near  lay  the  two  vessels  to  each  other, 
that  the  fire  from  the  guns  scorched  the  gunners  on  the  opposite  ship. 
The  antagonists  were  inextricably  entangled ;  for  the  mizzen-mast  of  the 
"  Savage "  had  been  shot  away,  and  had  fallen  into  the  after-rigging  of 
the  "  Congress."  There  was  no  flight  for  the  weaker  vessel.  When  she 
could  no  longer  fight,  surrender  was  her  only  recourse.  Neither  vessel 
showed  any  colors,  for  both  ensigns  had  been  shot  away  early  in  the 
action.  Accordingly,  when  the  boatswain  of  the  "  Savage "  was  seen 
upon  the  forecastle  wildly  waving  his  arms,  it  was  taken  as  an  evidence  of 
surrender;  and  the  fire  slackened  until  his  voice  could  be  heard. 

"Give  us  quarter,"  he  cried  hoarsely;  "we  are  a  wreck,  and  strike 
our  flag." 

The  firing  then  ceased  ;  but,  when  the  lieutenant  of  the  "  Congress  " 
ordered  a  boat  lowered  in  which  to  board  the  prize,  the  old  boatswain  came 
back  with  the  report,  — 

"Boats  all  knocked  to  pieces,  sir.  Couldn't  find  one  that  would 
float." 

Accordingly  the  two  vessels  had  to  be  slowly  drawn  together,  and  the 
boarding  party  reached  the  deck  of  the  prize  by  clambering  over  a  spar 
which  served  as  a  bridge.  When  they  reached  the  prize,  they  found  her 
decks  covered  with  dead  and  wounded  men.  The  slaughter  had  been 
terrible.  Twenty-three  men  were  killed,  and  thirty-one  wounded.  On 
the  "  Congress  "  were  thirty,  killed  and  wounded  together.  One  of  the 
wounded  Americans  was  found  lying  with  his  back  braced  against  the 
foot  of  the  bowsprit,  cheering  for  the  victory,  and  crying, — 

"If  they  have  broken  my  legs,  my  hands  and  heart  are  still  whole." 

Throughout  this  sanguinary  action  both  parties  showed  the  greatest 
courage  and  determination.  Two  vessels  of  the  two  most  perfectly  organ 
ized  regular  navies  in  the  world  could  not  have  been  better  handled,  nor 
could  they  have  more  stubbornly  contested  for  the  victory. 

A  class  of  armed  vessels  outside  the  limits  of  the  regular  navy,  but 
very  active  and  efficient  in  the  service  of  the  country,  was  the  maritime 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  1/3 


forces  of  the  individual  states.  Before  Congress  had  seen  the  necessity 
for  a  naval  force,  several  of  the  colonies  had  been  alive  to  the  situation, 
and  fitted  out  cruisers  of  their  own.  Even  after  the  Revolution  had 
developed  into  a  war  of  the  first  magnitude,  and  after  the  colonies  had 
assumed  the  title  of  states,  and  delegated  to  Congress  the  duty  of 
providing  for  the  common  defence,  they  still  continued  to  fit  out  their  own 
men-of-war  to  protect  their  ports  and  act  as  convoys  for  their  merchant 
fleets.  Though  vessels  in  this  service  seldom  cruised  far  from  the  coast 
of  their  home  colony,  yet  occasionally  they  met  the  vessels  of  the  enemy, 
and  many  sharp  actions  were  fought  by  them. 

Of  all  the  actions  fought  by  the  State  cruisers,  the  most  hotly 
contested  was  that  between  the  Pennsylvania  cruiser  "  Hyder  Ali,"  and 
the  British  sloop-of-war  "  Gen.  Monk."  The  "Hyder  Ali"  was  a  merchant 
man,  bought  by  the  state  just  as  she  was  about  departing  on  a  voyage  to 
the  West  Indies.  She  was  in  no  way  calculated  for  a  man-of-war ;  but  the 
need  was  pressing,  and  she  was  pierced  for  eight  ports  on  a  side,  and 
provided  with  a  battery  of  six-pounders.  The  command  of  this  vessel 
was  given  to  Joshua  Barney,  a  young  officer  with  an  extensive  experience 
of  Yankee  privateers  and  British  prisons,  and  whose  later  exploits  in  the 
United  States  navy  are  familiar  to  readers  of  "Blue-Jackets  of  1812." 

Barney's  instructions  were,  not  to  go  to  sea,  but  to  patrol  the  Delaware 
River  and  Bay,  and  see  that  no  privateer  lay  in  wait  for  the  merchant- 
vessels  that  cleared  from  the  port  of  Philadelphia.  In  April,  1782,  the 
"  Hyder  Ali "  stood  down  Delaware  Bay  at  the  head  of  a  large  fleet  of 
outward-bound  merchantmen.  When  Cape  May  was  reached,  strong  head 
winds  sprang  up,  and  the  whole  fleet  anchored  to  await  more  favorable 
weather  before  putting  out  to  sea.  While  they  lay  at  anchor,  the  "  Hyder 
Ali "  sighted  a  trio  of  British  vessels,  two  ships  and  a  brig,  rounding  the 
cape.  Instantly  Barney  signalled  his  convoy  to  trip  anchor  and  retreat, 
a  signal  which  was  promptly  obeyed  by  all  save  one  too  daring  craft,  that 
tried  to  slip  round  the  cape,  and  get  to  sea,  but  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Soon  the  whole  fleet,  with  the  "  Hyder  Ali "  bringing  up 
the  rear,  fled  up  the  bay.  The  British  followed  in  hot  pursuit. 

At  a  point  half-way  up  the  bay  the  pursuers  parted ;  one  of  the  ships, 
a  frigate,  cutting  through  a  side  channel  in  the  hope  of  intercepting  the 
fugitives.  The  other  two  pursuers,  a  privateer  brig  and  a  sloop-of-war, 


174  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


continued  in  the  wake  of  the  "  Hyder  All."  The  brig  proved  herself 
a  clipper,  and  soon  came  up  with  the  American  vessel,  which  promptly 
offered  battle.  The  challenge  was  declined  by  the  privateer,  which  fired 
a  harmless  broadside,  and  continued  on  up  the  bay.  Barney  let  her  pass, 
for  he  had  determined  to  risk  the  dangers  of  an  unequal  combat  with  the 
sloop-of-war.  This  vessel  came  up  rapidly ;  and  as  she  drew  near  Barney 
luffed  up  suddenly,  and  let  fly  a  broadside.  This  somewhat  staggered  the 
enemy,  who  had  expected  only  a  tame  surrender ;  but  she  quickly  recovered, 
and  came  boldly  on.  At  this  juncture  Barney  turned  to  his  helmsman,  and 
said, — 

"  Now,  when  I  give  the  word,  pay  no  attention  to  my  order,  but  put 
the  helm  hard-a-starboard.  Pay  no  heed  to  the  actual  command  I  may 
give  you." 

The  British  vessel  was   then  within   half   pistol-shot,  and   her  forward 
guns   were   beginning   to   bear.     From   his    station    on    the    quarter-deck 
Barney  shouted  to  his  steersman  in  stentorian  tones,  — 
"Port  your  helm.     Hard-a-port." 

The  order  was  clearly  heard  on  board  the  enemy,  and  he  prepared  to 
manoeuvre  his  ship  accordingly.  But  the  steersman  of  the  "  Hyder  Ali ''" 
remembered  his  instructions ;  and  before  the  enemy  discovered  the  ruse, 
the  American  ship  lay  athwart  the  other's  bow,  and  the  bowsprit  of  the 
enemy  was  caught  in  the  "  Hyder  Ali's  "  rigging,  giving  the  latter  a  raking 
position.  Quickly  the  Yankee  gunners  seized  the  opportunity.  Not  five 
miles  away  was  a  British  frigate  ready  to  rush  to  the  assistance  of  her 
consort,  and  whatever  was  to  be  done  by  the  bold  lads  of  Pennsylvania 
had  to  be  done  with  expedition.  No  cheer  rose  from  their  ranks  ;  but 
with  grim  determination  they  worked  at  the  great  guns,  pouring  in  rapid 
and  effective  broadsides.  The  explosions  of  the  two  batteries  were  like 
the  deafening  peals  of  thunder  echoed  and  re-echoed  in  some  mountain- 
gorge.  Smoke  hid  the  vessels  from  sight,  and  the  riflemen  in  the  tops 
could  only  occasionally  catch  sight  of  the  figures  of  the  enemy.  The 
enemy  had  twenty  guns  to  Barney's  sixteen  ;  but  he  was  outmanoeuvred 
at  the  start,  and  this  disadvantage  he  never  overcame.  Half  an  hour 
from  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the  battle,  his  flag  was  struck,  and  the 
Americans,  with  lusty  cheers,  took  possession  of  their  prize.  There  was 
no  time  for  ceremony.  The  frigate  had  seen  the  conflict  from  afar,  and 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  I  75 


was  bearing  down  upon  the  two  antagonists.  So  without  even  asking 
the  name  of  the  captured  vessel,  Barney  hastily  threw  a  prize  crew  aboard, 
ordered  her  to  proceed  to  Philadelphia,  and  himself  remained  behind  to 
cover  the  retreat. 

Some  hours  later,  having  escaped  the  British  frigate,  the  two  vessek 
sailed  up  to  a  Philadelphia  wharf.  The  scars  of  battle  had  been  in  no  way 
healed  :  the  tattered  sails,  the  shattered  hulls  and  bulwarks,  the  cordage 
hanging  loosely  from  the  masts,  told  the  story  of  battle.  The  crowd 
that  rushed  to  the  wharf,  and  peered  curiously  about  the  decks  of  the  two 
vessels,  saw  a  ghastly  and  horrible  sight.  For  the  battle  had  been  as 
sanguinary  as  it  was  spirited,  and  the  dead  still  lay  where  they  fell.  On 
the  British  vessel,  the  "  Gen.  Monk,"  lay  the  lifeless  bodies  of  twenty  men; 
while  twenty-six  wounded,  whose  blood  stained  the  deck,  lay  groaning  in 
the  cockpit  below.  On  the  "  Hyder  AH  "  were  four  killed  and  eleven 
wounded. 

This  action,  for  steadiness  and  brilliancy,  was  not  surpassed  by  any  naval 
duel  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  By  it  the  name  of  Joshua  Barney  was 
put  upon  a  plane  with  those  of  the  most  eminent  commanders  in  the  regular 
navy ;  and  had  not  the  war  speedily  terminated,  he  would  have  been  granted 
a  commission  and  a  ship  by  the  United  States. 

While  the  chief  naval  events  of  the  war  for  independence  have  now 
been  recounted,  there  still  remain  certain  incidents  connected  more  or  less 
closely  with  the  war  on  the  water,  which  deserve  a  passing  mention.  One 
of  these  is  the  curious  desultory  warfare  carried  on  in  and  about  New  York 
Harbor  by  fishermen  and  longshoremen  in  whale-boats,  dories,  sharpies,  and 
similar  small  craft. 

From  1776  until  the  close  of  the  war,  New  York  City  and  the  region 
bordering  upon  the  harbor  were  occupied  by  the  British.  Provisions  were 
needed  for  their  support,  and  were  brought  from  Connecticut  and  New 
Jersey  in  small  sailing  craft,  chiefly  whale-boats.  These  boats  the  patriots 
often  intercepted,  and  desperate  encounters  upon  the  water  were  frequent. 
Nor  did  the  Yankee  boatmen  confine  their  attacks  to  the  provision  boats 
alone.  In  the  summer  of  1775  the  British  transport  "  Blue  Mountain 
Valley "  was  captured  by  a  band  of  hardy  Jerseymen,  who  concealed 
themselves  in  the  holds  of  four  small  sail-boats  until  fairly  alongside  the 
enemy's  vessel,  when  they  swarmed  out  and  drove  the  British  from  the  deck 
of  their  vessel. 


1 76  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    '76. 

Two  New  Jersey  fishermen,  Adam  Hyler  and  William  Marriner,  were 
particularly  active  in  this  class  of  warfare.  Twice  the  British  sent  armed 
forces  to  capture  them,  and,  failing  in  that,  burned  their  boats.  But  the 
sturdy  patriots  were  undaunted,  and  building  new  boats,  waged  a  relentless 
war  against  the  followers  of  King  George.  Every  Tory  that  fished  in  the 
bay  was  forced  to  pay  them  tribute ;  and  many  of  these  gentry,  so  obnoxious 
to  the  Yankees,  were  visited  in  their  homes  at  dead  of  night,  and  solemnly 
warned  to  show  more  moderation  in  their  disapproval  of  the  American 
cause.  When  the  occasion  offered,  the  two  Jerseymen  gathered  armed 
bands,  and  more  than  one  small  British  vessel  fell  a  prey  to  their  midnight 
activity.  Two  British  corvettes  were  captured  by  them  in  Coney  Island 
Bay,  and  burned  to  the  water's  edge.  With  one  of  the  blazing  vessels 
forty  thousand  dollars  in  specie  was  destroyed,  —  a  fact  that  Hyler  bitterly 
lamented  when  he  learned  of  it. 

No  narrative  of  the  events  of  the  Revolution  would  be  complete 
without  some  description  of  the  floating  prison-houses  in  which  the 
British  immured  the  hapless  soldiers  and  sailors  who  fell  into  their  hands, 
Of  these  the  chief  one  was  a  dismasted  hulk  known  as  the  "Old  Jersey" 
prison-ship,  and  moored  in  Wallabout  Bay  near  New  York  City.  No  pen 
can  adequately  describe  the  horrors  of  this  prison  ;  but  some  extracts 
from  the  published  recollections  of  men  once  imprisoned  in  her  noisome 
hold  will  give  some  idea  of  the  miserable  fate  of  those  condemned  to  be 
imprisoned  on  her. 

Thomas  Andros,  a  sailor  taken  by  the  British  with  the  privateer  "  Fair 
American,"  writes  of  the  "Old  Jersey:"  "This  was  an  old  sixty-four-gun 
ship,  which,  through  age,  had  become  unfit  for  further  actual  service. 
She  was  stripped  of  every  spar  and  all  her  rigging.  After  a  battle  with 
a  French  fleet,  her  lion  figure-head  was  taken  away  to  repair  another  ship. 
No  appearance  of  ornament  was  left,  and  nothing  remained  but  an  old 
unsightly  rotten  hulk ;  and  doubtless  no  other  ship  in  the  British  navy 
ever  proved  the  means  of  the  destruction  of  so  many  human  beings.  It  is 
computed  that  no  less  than  eleven  thousand  American  seamen  perished  in 
her.  When  I  first  became  an  inmate  of  this  abode  of  suffering,  despair, 
and  death,  there  were  about  four  hundred  prisoners  on  board  ;  but  in  a 
short  time  they  amounted  to  twelve  hundred.  In  a  short  time  we  had  two 
hundred  or  more  sick  and  dying  lodged  in  the  forepart  of  the  lower  gun- 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  177 

deck,  where  all  the  prisoners  were  confined  at  night.  Utter  derangement 
was  a  common  symptom  of  yellow-fever ;  and  to  increase  the  horror  of  the 
darkness  that  surrounded  us  (for  we  were  allowed  no  light  between  decks), 
the  voice  of  warning  would  be  heard,  '  Take  heed  to  yourselves.  There 
is  a  madman  stalking  through  the  ship  with  a  knife  in  his  hand.'  I 
sometimes  found  the  man  a  corpse  in  the  morning,  by  whose  side  I  laid 
myself  down  at  night.  In  the  morning  the  hatchways  were  thrown  open ; 
and  we  were  allowed  to  ascend  on  the  upper  deck  all  at  once,  and  remain 
on  the  upper  deck  all  day.  But  the  first  object  that  met  our  view  in  the 
morning  -was  an  appalling  spectacle,  —  a  boat  loaded  with  dead  bodies, 
conveying  them  to  the  Long  Island  shore,  where  they  were  very  slightly 
covered." 

Ebenezer  Fox,  another  privateersman,  has  left  his  recollections  of  this 
dreadful  prison.  His  description  of  the  food  upon  which  the  unhappy 
prisoners  were  forced  to  subsist  is  interesting:  — 

"Our  bill  of  fare  was  as  follows:  on  Sunday,  one  pound  of  biscuit, 
one  pound  of  pork,  and  half  a  pint  of  pease ;  Monday,  one  pound  of 
biscuit,  one  pint  of  oatmeal,  and  two  ounces  of  butter ;  Tuesday,  one 
pound  of  biscuit,  and  two  pounds  of  salt  beef ;  Wednesday,  one  and 
a  half  pounds  of  flour,  and  two  ounces  of  suet ;  Thursday  was  a 
repetition  of  Sunday's  fare ;  Friday,  of  Monday's ;  and  Saturday,  of 
Tuesday's. 

"If  this  food  had  been  of  good  quality  and  properly  cooked,  as  we 
had  no  labor  to  perform,  it  would  have  kept  us  comfortable,  at  least  from 
suffering ;  but  this  was  not  the  case.  All  our  food  appeared  to  be  damaged. 
A.S  for  the  pork,  we  were  cheated  out  of  it  more  than  half  the  time ;  and 
when  it  was  obtained,  one  would  have  judged  from  its  motley  hues, 
exhibiting  the  consistence  and  appearance  of  variegated  fancy  soap,  that 
it  was  the  flesh  of  the  porpoise  or  sea-hog,  and  had  been  an  inhabitant 
of  the  ocean  rather  than  of  the  stye.  The  pease  were  generally  damaged, 
and,  from  the  imperfect  manner  in  which  they  were  cooked,  were  about 
as  indigestible  as  grape-shot.  The  butter  the  reader  will  not  suppose 
was  the  real  '  Goshen  ; '  and  had  it  not  been  for  its  adhesive  properties 
to  hold  together  the  particles  of  the  biscuit,  that  had  been  so  riddled  by 
the  worms  as  to  lose  all  their  attraction  of  cohesion,  we  should  have 
considered  it  no  desirable  addition  to  our  viands." 


j;8  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

But  it  is  unnecessary  to  prolong  the  painful  description  of  the  horrors 
of  this  floating  charnel  house.  Its  name  and  record  must  ever  rest  as  a 
dark  stain  upon  the  name  of  England.  It  is  seldom  possible  in  war-time 
to  house  and  care  for  the  immense  hordes  of  prisoners-of-war  with  the 
same  regard  for  their  comfort  which  is  shown  ordinarily  to  convicted  felons. 
War  is  brutal ;  it  is  unfeeling,  and  the  weaker  party  must  always  suffer. 
But  such  sufferings  as  those  of  the  "  Old  Jersey  "  captives  can  be  excused 
upon  no  ground.  There  was  no  need  to  crowd  hundreds  of  men  into  a 
space  hardly  large  enough  for  a  few  score.  To  starve  her  prisoners,  should 
not  be  part  of  a  great  nation's  policy.  The  one  plea  which  England  can 
urge  in  extenuation  of  the  "  Old  Jersey  "  is  that  it  had  its  day  at  a  time 
when  those  broad  principles  of  humanity,  now  so  generally  accepted,  had 
not  yet  been  applied  to  the  rules  of  war. 

With  this  chapter  ends  the  narrative  of  the  naval  events  of  the  war  of  the 
Revolution.  It  was  not  a  great  naval  war,  for  the  belligerent  nations  were 
not  sufficiently  well  matched  in  naval  strength.  But  it  brought  forth  Paul 
Jones  and  more  than  one  other  brave  and  able  commander.  It  established 
a  new  flag  upon  the  seas,  a  flag  that  has  ever  since  held  an  honorable 
position  among  the  insignia  of  the  foremost  nations  of  the  earth.  And  in 
the  war  of  the  Revolution,  as  in  every  war  in  which  the  United  States 
has  taken  part  since,  there  was  manifested  the  wonderful  ability  of  the 
American  people  to  rush  into  a  conflict  half  prepared,  and  gain  daily  in 
strength  until  the  cause  for  which  they  fight  is  won.  In  1776  that  cause 
was  liberty,  and  in  its  behalf  none  fought  more  bravely  than  the  lads  wno 
wore  the  blue  jackets  of  the  American  navy. 


I 


CHAPTER   XV. 


THE  NAVY  DISBANDED.  — AGGRESSIONS  OF  BARBARY 
CORSAIRS.  — A  DISGRACEFUL  TRIBUTE.  —  BAIN- 
BRIDGE  AND  THE  DEY.  — GEN.  EATON  AT  TUNIS. 
A  SQUADRON  SENT  TO  THE  MEDITERRANEAN.— 
—  DECATUR  AND  THE  SPANIARDS. —  THE  "EN 
TERPRISE  "  AND  THE  "  TRIPOLI."  —  AMERICAN 
SLAVES  IN  ALGIERS. 


EACE  having  been  signed  with  Great  Britain  in  1783,  the  nucleus 
of  a  navy  then  in  existence  was  disbanded.  Partly  this  was  due 
to  the  disinclination  of  the  sturdy  Republicans  to  keep  a  standing 
establishment,  either  naval  or  military,  in  time  of  peace.  The 
same  tendency  of  the  American  mind  to  disregard  the  adage,  "  In  time  of 
peace,  prepare  for  war,"  is  observable  to-day.  But  the  chief  reason  for  the 
dissolution  of  the  navy  lay  in  the  impossibility  of  collecting  funds  to  pay 
for  its  maintenance.  The  states  had  formed  themselves  into  a  confederacy, 
but  so  jealously  had  each  state  guarded  its  individual  rights,  that  no  power 
was  left  to  the  general  government.  The  navy  being  a  creation  of  the 
general  government,  was  therefore  left  without  means  of  support ;  and  in 
1785  the  last  remaining  frigate,  the  "Alliance,"  was  sold  because  there 
was  not  enough  money  in  the  treasury  to  pay  for  her  needed  repairs. 

For  eight  years  thereafter  the  nation  remained  without  a  navy.  But 
gradually  there  sprung  up  a  very  considerable  maritime  commerce  under 
the  flag  of  the  United  States.  The  stars  and  stripes  began  to  be  a 
familiar  sight  in  sea-ports  as  far  away  as  China  and  Japan.  But  as  far  as 
it  afforded  any  protection  to  the  vessel  above  which  it  waved,  that  banner 
might  have  been  a  meaningless  bit  of  striped  bunting.  In  1785  the  Dey 
of  Algiers,  looking  to  piracy  for  his  income,  sent  his  piratical  cruisers  out 
into  the  Atlantic  to  seize  upon  the  merchantmen  of  the  new  nation  that 

179 


l8o  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

had  no  navy  to  enforce  its  authority.  Two  vessels  were  captured,  and 
their  crews  sold  into  disgraceful  slavery  in  Algiers. 

When  the  first  Congress  of  the  United  States  under  the  present 
Constitution  assembled,  President  Washington  called  the  attention  of  the 
law-makers  to  the  crying  need  for  a  navy.  But  war  had  set  in  between 
Portugal  and  Algiers  ;  the  Algerian  corsairs  were  blockaded  in  their  ports, 
and  American  vessels  were  enjoying  a  temporary  immunity  from  piratical 
attack.  Therefore  Congress  hesitated. 

But  in  1793  peace  was  suddenly  arranged  between  Portugal  and 
Algiers.  Immediately  the  corsairs  swarmed  out  of  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  and  swooped  down  upon  the  American  merchantmen.  In  a  few 
weeks  four  ships  were  in  their  hands,  and  the  gangs  of  white  slaves  in 
Tunis  and  Tripoli  were  re-enforced  by  nearly  two  hundred  luckless  Yankee 
sailors.  Then  Congress  awoke,  and  ordered  the  immediate  building  of 
six  frigates.  The  ships  were  laid  down,  the  work  was  well  under  way, 
naval  officers  had  been  appointed,  and  every  thing  seemed  to  point  to  the 
revival  of  the  American  navy,  when  a  treaty  was  negotiated  with  Algiers, 
and  all  work  was  stopped. 

And  what  a  treaty  it  was  !  By  it  the  United  States  relinquished 
every  claim  to  the  rights  of  a  sovereign  nation.  It  agreed  to  pay  an 
annual  tribute  to  the  piratical  Dey,  in  consideration  of  his  granting  to 
American  vessels  the  right  of  travel  on  the  high  seas.  And  when  some 
slight  delay  occurred  in  making  the  first  payment  of  tribute,  the  obsequious 
government  presented  the  Barbary  corsair  with  a  frigate,  to  allay  his  wrath. 

We  must  pass  hastily  over  the  time  during  which  this  iniquitous  treaty 
was  in  force.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  by  it  the  United  States  paid  the  Dey 
more  than  a  million  dollars.  For  the  same  sum  his  piratical  establishment 
might  have  been  scattered  like  the  sands  of  the  desert. 

In  May,  1800,  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  Capt.  William  Bainbridge,  commanding 
the  frigate  "George  Washington,"  to  carry  the  annual  tribute  to  Algiers. 
On  arriving  there  he  was  treated  with  contempt  by  the  Dey,  who  demanded 
that  he  put  the  "  Washington "  at  the  service  of  Algiers,  to  carry  her 
ambassador  to  Constantinople.  "You  pay  me  tribute,  by  which  you 
become  my  slaves,"  said  the  Dey ;  "  I  have  therefore  a  right  to  order 
you  as  I  may  think  proper." 

Bainbridge  protested,  but  to  no  avail.     He   had   anchored   his   frigate 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76.  iSi 

under  the  guns  of  the  Dey's  castle,  and  to  disobey  meant  capture  and 
slavery.  Accordingly  he  complied,  but  despatched  a  letter  to  the  authori 
ties  at  home,  saying,  "  I  hope  I  may  never  again  be  sent  to  Algiers  with 
tribute,  unless  I  am  authorized  to  deliver  it  from  the  mouth  of  our  cannon." 

When  Bainbridge  reached  the  United  States,  after  faithfully  discharging 
the  errand  of  the  Dey,  he  found  that  it  was  unlikely  that  either  he  or  any 
other  officer  would  be  forced  to  carry  any  further  tribute  to  the  Barbary 
pirates.  For,  while  the  tribute  paid  to  Algiers  had  merely  changed  the 
attitude  of  that  country  from  open  hostility  to  contemptuous  forbearance, 
it  had  brought  the  other  Barbary  states  clamoring  to  the  United  States 
for  tribute.  Tunis  and  Tripoli  demanded  blood-money ;  and  each  emphasized 
its  demand  by  capturing  a  few  Yankee  merchantmen,  and  selling  their 
crews  into  slavery. 

The  agents  or  ambassadors  sent  by  the  United  States  to  these  powers 
were  treated  with  the  utmost  contempt ;  and  while  their  lives  were  often 
in  danger,  their  property  was  always  considered  the  fair  prey  of  the 
Barbarian  ruler  to  whose  domain  they  were  sent.  To  Tunis  was  sent 
Gen.  William  Eaton,  an  American  politician,  who  has  left  a  record  of  his 
experiences  in  the  land  of  the  Bey.  Some  of  the  entries  in  his  journal  are 
very  pithy.  Thus  under  the  date  of  Aug.  n,  1799,  he  wrote, — 

"  Some  good  friend  had  informed  the  Bey  that  I  had  an  elegant  Grecian 
mirror  in  my  house.  To-day  he  sent  a  request  for  it,  pretending  that  he 
wanted  it  for  the  cabin  of  his  pleasure-boat,  now  about  to  be  launched.  So 
it  is.  If  the  consuls  have  a  good  piece  of  furniture,  or  any  other  good 
thing  which  strikes  the  Bey's  fancy,  he  never  hesitates  to  ask  for  it ;  and 
they  have  no  alternative  but  to  give  it.  They  have  suffered  this  to  become 
usance  also. 

"i  2th.     Sent  the  Bey  the  mirror." 

A  letter  from  Gen.  Eaton  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  in  1801,  tells  of 
th^  capacity  of  the  Bey.  A  fire  in  the  regal  palace  destroyed  fifty  thousand 
stand  of  small-arms.  The  next  day  the  monarch  ordered  Eaton  to  procure 
from  the  United  States  ten  thousand  stand  to  help  make  up  the  loss. 
Eaton  demurred.  "  The  Bey  did  not  send  for  you  to  ask  your  advice,"  said 
the  prime  minister,  "  but  to  order  you  to  communicate  his  demands  to  your 
Government." 

Eaton  still  protested,  pointed  out  the  fact  that  the  United  States  had 


1 82  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 


already  paid  the  Bey  heavy  tribute,  and  asked  when  these  extortionate 
demands  were  to  end. 

"  Never/'  was  the  cool  response ;  and  the  interview  ended. 

But  by  this  time  the  United  States  authorities  had  perceived  the  error 
they  had  committed  in  temporizing  with  the  Barbary  powers.  They  had 
quieted  Algiers  by  the  payment  of  a  heavy  tribute,  and  the  gift  of  a  frigate. 
But  this  had.  only  excited  the  cupidity  of  the  other  petty  states.  Tunis 
demanded  like  tribute  The  Bashaw  of  Tripoli,  discontented  with  his  share 
of  the  spoils,  cut  down  the  flag-staff,  before  the  American  consulate,  and 
sent  out  his  cruisers  to  prey  upon  American  commerce  Accordingly, 
on  the  2Oth  of  May,  1801,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  ordered  a  squadron 
prepared  to  proceed  to  the  Mediterranean,  aid  bni^-  th  rapacious  Arabs 
to  terms. 

The  vessels  chosen  for  this  service  were  the  " "P -esident,"  Commodore 
Richard  Dale  ;  "  Phil  .delphia,"  Capt  Barren  ;  "  Essex,"  Capt.  Bainbridge  ; 
and  the  schooner  "  Enterprise,"  Lieut. -Commandant  Sterrett.  Though 
the  fleet  in  itself  was  powerful,  the  commodore  was  hampered  by  the 
timid  and  vacillating  instructions  of  Congress.  War  had  not  been 
actually  declared,  and  he  was  therefore  to  commit  no  overt  act  of 
hostility.  The  vessels  of  the  fleet  were  to  be  employed  simply  to  convoy 
American  merchantmen  in  and  out  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  to 
be  in  readiness  to  ward  off  any  hostile  action  on  the  part  of  any  of  the 
Barbary  powers. 

On  July  i  the  fleet  entered  the  roadstead  at  Gibraltar,  and  anchored 
in  the  shadow  of  the  famous  rock.  Here  the  Americans  found  two  of 
the  most  rapacious  of  the  Tripolitan  corsairs  lying  at  anchor  ;  one  a  ship 
of  twenty-six  guns  under  the  command  of  the  Tripolitan  admiral,  and  the 
other  a  brig  of  sixteen  guns.  To  keep  an  eye  on  these  piratical  worthies, 
the  "  Philadelphia "  was  ordered  to  remain  at  Gibraltar,  while  the  other 
vessels  scattered.  The  "  Essex  "  was  ordered  to  cruise  along  the  northern 
shore  of  the  Mediterranean,  gathering  up  all  the  American  merchantmen, 
and  convoying  them  to  sea.  The  "  President  "  and  the  "  Enterprise  "  made 
sail  for  Algiers,  to  convince  the  ruler  of  that  country  that  it  would  be 
impolitic  for  him  to  declare  war  against  the  United  States  at  that  time. 
The  desired  effect  was  produced  ;  for  the  sight  of  an  American  frigate  did 
more  to  tone  down  the  harshness  of  the  Dey's  utterances,  than  could  the 
most  extortionate  tribute. 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76.  183 

The  cruise  of  the  "  Essex  "  was  uneventful,  save  for  a  dispute  between 
the  officers  of  the  American  man-of-war  and  a  Spanish  xebec  in  the  roads 
of  Barcelona.  The  trouble  arose  in  this  wise :  — 

The  "  Essex,"  though  a  small  vessel,  was  perfectly  appointed,  of 
handsome  model  and  appearance,  and  her  crew  was  drilled  to  the  highest 
possible  state  of  discipline  and  efficiency.  When  she  cast  anchor  at 
Barcelona,  she  straightway  became  the  talk  of  the  town,  and  her  officers 
became  the  lions  of  the  hour,  vastly  to  the  disgust  of  the  Spaniards  on 
the  xebec  lying  in  the  same  port.  Accordingly  they  took  every 
opportunity  to  annoy  the  Americans,  challenging  the  boats  of  the  "Essex" 
as  they  passed  the  xebec,  and  not  scrupling  to  use  abusive  language 
to  Capt.  Bainbridge  himself.  One  night  a  boat,  under  command  of  Lieut. 
Stephen  Decatur,  was  brought  under  the  guns  of  the  xebec,  and  held 
there  while  the  Spaniards  shouted  insults  from  the  deck  above.  Decatur 
called  for  the  officer  in  command,  and  remonstrated  with  him,  but  receiving 
no  satisfaction,  ordered  his  men  to  shove  off,  declaring  he  would  call  again 
in  the  morning. 

Accordingly,  in  the  forenoon  of  the  following  day,  a  boat  from  the 
"Essex,"  with  Decatur  in  the  stern-sheets,  made  for  the  Spanish  vessel. 
Coming  alongside,  Decatur  went  on  board,  and  asked  for  the  officer  who 
had  been  in  command  the  night  previous.  He  was  told  that  the  man  he 
sought  had  gone  ashore. 

"Well,  then,"  thundered  Decatur,  in  tones  that  could  be  heard  all 
over  the  vessel,  "  tell  him  that  Lieut.  Decatur  of  the  frigate  '  Essex ' 
pronounces  him  a  cowardly  scoundrel,  and  when  they  meet  on  shore  he 
will  cut  his  ears  off."  And  having  thrown  this  bombshell  into  the  enemy's 
camp,  Decatur  returned  to  his  ship. 

The  duel  was  never  fought,  for  the  civil  authorities  bestirred  them 
selves  to  prevent  it.  But  the  matter  was  taken  up  by  the  United  States 
minister  to  Spain,  who  never  permitted  it  to  rest  until  the  fullest  apology 
was  made  by  Spain  for  the  indignities  to  which  the  American  naval  officers 
had  been  subjected. 

After  having  collected  a  large  number  of  merchantmen,  and  taken 
them  safely  out  of  the  reach  of  Tripolitan  cruisers,  the  "Essex"  showed 
her  colors  in  the  chief  Barbary  ports,  and  rejoined  the  flagship  in  time 
to  return  to  the  United  States  in  December. 


1 84  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

While  the  " Essex"  had  been  thus  pacificly  employed,  the  little 
schooner  "Enterprise"  had  carried  off  the  honors  by  fighting  the  first 
and  only  pitched  battle  of  the  year.  This  little  craft,  after  accompanying 
the  "President"  to  Algiers,  was  ordered  to  Malta.  While  on  the  way 
thither  she  fell  in  with  a  polacre-rigged  ship  flying  the  Tripolitan  colors. 
Closer  inspection  showed  her  to  be  a  notorious  corsair,  well  known  for  the 
constant  and  merciless  warfare  she  waged  upon  American  merchantmen. 
The  stars  and  stripes,  floating  at  the  peak  of  the  American  man-of-war, 
alarmed  the  Moors,  and  they  opened  fire  without  waiting  for  a  hail.  The 
"  Enterprise  "  took  up  a  position  alongside,  and  at  a  distance  of  less  than  a 
pistol-shot.  Broadside  succeeded  broadside  in  rapid  succession.  The  aim 
of  the  Americans  was  better  than  that  of  the  enemy,  and  the  effect  of 
their  fire  was  observable  whenever  the  breeze  cleared  away  the  dense 
smoke  that  hid  the  vessels  from  each  other.  But  the  ordnance  of  both 
was  light,  so  that  the  combat  was  greatly  prolonged.  The  vessels  were 
almost  equally  matched ;  for  the  "  Enterprise  "  carried  twelve  guns  and 
ninety  men,  while  the  Tripolitan  mounted  fourteen  guns,  and  had  a  crew 
of  eighty-five  men. 

For  two  hours  the  battle  continued,  and  the  roar  of  the  cannon  and  the 
rattle  of  small-arms  were  incessant.  The  day  was  calm  and  clear,  with 
the  still,  warm  air  prevalent  in  the  Mediterranean.  Hardly  was  the  breeze 
strong  enough  to  carry  away  the  sulphurous  cloud  of  smoke  that  formed 
the  one  blot  on  the  fair  surface  of  the  fairest  of  all  seas.  At  last  the 
Americans  noticed  that  the  fire  of  the  enemy  had  ceased.  Eagerly  they 
peered  through  the  smoke,  and  when  the  outline  of  their  adversary  could 
be  made  out,  three  ringing  cheers  told  that  the  Tripolitan  flag  waved  no 
longer  in  its  place.  Leaving  their  guns,  the  Americans  were  preparing  to 
board  the  prize,  when  they  were  astonished  to  receive  another  broadside, 
and  see  the  colors  of  their  adversary  again  hoisted. 

With  cries  of  rage  the  Yankee  seamen  again  went  to  quarters ;  and,  if 
they  had  fought  boldly  before,  they  now  fought  viciously.  They  cared 
little  to  take  the  prize  :  their  chief  end  was  to  send  her,  and  the  treacherous 
corsairs  that  manned  her,  to  the  bottom.  The  Tripolitans  in  their  turn 
exerted  every  energy  to  conquer.  Bringing  their  vessel  alongside  the 
"Enterprise,"  they  strove  repeatedly  to  board,  only  to  be  beaten  back 
again  and  again.  Finally,  after  receiving  two  raking  broadsides  from  the 
"Enterprise,"  she  again  struck  her  flag. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  185 


This  time  Capt.  Sterrett  was  in  no  haste  to  consider  the  combat  ended. 
Keeping  his  men  at  the  guns,  he  ordered  the  Tripolitan  to  come  under 
the  quarter  of  the  "Enterprise."  But  no  sooner  had  the  enemy  done  so 
than  she  renewed  the  conflict  for  the  third  time,  by  attempting  to 
board. 

"No  quarter  for  the  treacherous  dogs,"  was  then  the  cry  on  the 
American  vessel.  "  Fight  on,  and  send  them  to  the  bottom." 

The  rest  of  the  battle  was  wholly  in  favor  of  the  "  Enterprise."  Several 
times  she  raked  her  antagonist,  doing  great  execution.  Many  shots  took 
effect  between  wind  and  water;  and  the  cry  arose  on  the  decks  of  the 
Tripolitan,  that  she  was  sinking.  The  "  Enterprise"  kept  at  a  safe  distance, 
and  by  skilful  sailing  chose  her  own  position,  so  that  she  could  pour  in  a 
deliberate  and  murderous  fire.  Bitterly  were  the  Tripolitans  punished  for 
their  treachery.  Their  decks  ran  red  with  blood,  half  of  their  officers 
were  shot  down,  the  cries  of  their  wounded  rose  shrill  above  the  thunder 
of  the  cannon.  Her  flag  was  struck,  but  to  this  the  American  gunners 
paid  no  heed.  The  repeated  treachery  of  the  corsairs  had  left  in  the 
minds  of  the  Yankee  sailors  but  one  thought,  —  to  send  the  ship  to 
the  bottom,  and  rid  the  ocean  of  so  pestiferous  a  craft. 

But,  enraged  though  they  were,  the  Americans  could  not  wholly  cast 
aside  their  feelings  of  humanity.  Though  they  had  been  twice  deceived, 
they  could  not  keep  up  their  attack  upon  a  vessel  so  sorely  stricken  as  to 
be  unable  to  respond  to  their  fire.  And  when  at  last  the  commander 
of  the  Tripolitan,  a  venerable  old  man  with  a  flowing  beard,  appeared  in 
the  waist  of  the  ship,  sorely  wounded,  and,  bowing  submissively,  cast  the 
colors  of  his  vessel  into  the  sea,  then  the  fire  of  the  "  Enterprise " 
ceased,  although  the  usages  of  war  would  have  justified  the  Americans 
in  exterminating  their  treacherous  foe. 

Having  captured  his  enemy,  Capt.  Sterrett  was  in  some  uncertainty 
as  to  what  to  do  with  it.  The  instructions  under  which  he  sailed  gave 
him  no  authority  to  take  prizes.  After  some  deliberation,  he  concluded 
to  rob  the  captured  vessel,  which  proved  to  be  the  "  Tripoli,"  of  her  power 
for  evil.  Accordingly  he  sent  Lieut.  David  Porter,  the  daring  naval 
officer  of  whose  exploits  we  have  already  spoken  in  the  "  Blue-Jackets  of 
1812,"  on  board  the  prize,  with  instructions  to  dismantle  her.  Porter 
carried  out  his  instructions  admirably.  With  immense  satisfaction  the 


1 86  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 

jackies  he  took  with  him  forced  the  Tripolitans  to  cut  away  their  masts, 
throw  overboard  all  their  cannon,  cutlasses,  pistols,  and  other  arms ;  cut 
their  sails  to  pieces ;  throw  all  ammunition  into  the  sea,  and,  to  use  a 
nautical  expression,  "  strip  the  ship  to  a  girtline."  One  jury-mast  and 
small  sail  alone  was  left. 

Porter  then  pointed  out  to  the  crestfallen  Tripolitan  captain,  Mahomet 
Sons,  that  the  "  Enterprise  "  had  not  lost  a  man  in  the  action,  while  of 
the  corsairs  not  less  than  fifty  were  either  killed  or  wounded. 

"Go,"  said  he  sternly  to  the  cowering  Mussulman,  "go  tell  the 
Bashaw  of  Tripoli,  and  the  people  of  your  country,  that  in  future  they 
may  expect  only  a  tribute  of  powder  and  ball  from  the  sailors  of  the 
United  States." 

Amid  the  jeers  and  execrations  of  the  Yankee  tars,  the  crippled 
Tripolitan  hulk,  with  her  dead  and  dying,  drifted  slowly  away.  When  she 
reached  Tripoli,  the  anger  of  the  Bashaw  was  unappeasable.  He  had 
expected  his  cruiser  to  return  freighted  deep  with  plunder,  and  crowded 
with  American  slaves.  She  had  returned  a  dismantled  hulk.  In  vain  her 
commander  showed  his  wounds  to  his  wrathful  master,  and  told  of  the  size 
of  his  enemy,  and  the  vigor  of  his  resistance.  The  rage  of  the  Bashaw 
demanded  a  sacrifice,  and  the  luckless  Mahomet  Sons  was  led  through 
the  streets  of  Tripoli  tied  to  a  jackass.  This  in  itself  was  the  deepest 
degradation  possible  for  a  Mussulman,  but  the  Bashaw  supplemented  it 
with  five  hundred  bastinadoes  well  laid  on.  This  severe  punishment, 
together  with  the  repeated  assertions  of  the  sailors  of  the  defeated  ship, 
that  the  dogs  of  Christians  had  fired  enchanted  shot,  so  terrified  the 
seafaring  people  of  Tripoli  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  the  Bashaw 
to  muster  a  ship's  crew  for  a  year  after. 

THe  battle  between  the  "  Enterprise  "  and  the  "  Tripoli  "  alone  saved 
the  first  year  of  the  war  from  being  entirely  puerile.  Certain  it  is  that  the 
distinguished  naval  officers  who  accompanied  the  fleet  to  the  Mediterranean 
were  so  hedged  about  with  political  red  tape,  that  they  were  powerless 
to  take  a  step  in  defence  of  the  honor  of  their  country.  While  they  were 
empowered  to  rescue  any  American  ship  that  might  be  discovered  in 
the  grasp  of  a  corsair,  they  were  powerless  to  attempt  the  rescue  of  the 
hundreds  of  Americans  held  by  Bashaw,  Bey,  and  Dey  as  slaves.  Commo 
dore  Dale,  indeed,  through  diplomacy,  managed  to  free  a  few  of  the  enslaved 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  187 

Americans.  Having  blockaded  the  harbor  of  Tripoli  with  the  frigate 
"President,"  he  captured  a  Greek  vessel  having  a  score  or  more  ot 
Tripolitan  soldiers  aboard.  He  then  sent  word  to  the  Bashaw  that  he 
would  exchange  these  prisoners  for  an  equal  number  of  Americans ;  but 
the  monarch  apparently  cared  little  for  his  subjects,  for  he  replied  that 
he  would  not  give  one  American  slave  for  the  whole  lot.  After  much 
argument,  an  exchange  was  made  upon  the  basis  of  three  Tripolitans  to 
one  Yankee. 

It  is  hard,  even  at  this  late  day,  to  regard  the  policy  of  the  United 
States  towards  the  Barbary  powers  with  feelings  other  than  of  mortification. 
Tunis,  Tripoli,  Algiers,  and  Morocco  constantly  preyed  on  our  commerce, 
and  enslaved  our  sailors.  In  the  streets  of  Algiers  worked  American 
slaves,  chained  together,  and  wearing  iron  collars  upon  their  necks.  Their 
lives  were  the  property  of  their  owners,  and  they  suffered  unheard  of 
privations  and  tortures.  Yet  at  this  very  time  the  United  States  kept 
a  consul  in  Algiers,  and  maintained  friendly  relations  with  the  Dey. 
Indeed,  a  historian  writing  in  1795  applauds  the  American  Government 
for  the  care  it  took  of  its  citizens  enslaved  in  Algiers,  by  providing  each 
with  a  suit  of  clothing  yearly ! 

But  the  continued  aggressions  and  extortionate  demands  of  the  Barbary 
powers  became  at  last  unbearable.  The  expedition  to  the  Mediterranean, 
under  Commodore  Dale,  was  but  the  premonitory  muttering  before  the 
storm.  Dale  returned  to  the  United  States  in  December,  1801,  and  his 
report  led  to  the  organization  of  the  naval  expedition  that  was  to  final!*' 
crush  the  piratical  powers  of  Barbary. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

MORE  VIGOROUS  POLICY. —COMMODORE  MORRIS  SENT  TO  THE  MEDITERRANEAN.  —  PORTER'S 
CUTTING-OUT  EXPEDITION. —COMMODORE  PREBLE  SENT  TO  THE  MEDITERRANEAN.— 
HIS  ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  BRITISH  MAN-OF-WAR.— THE  LOSS  OF  THE  "PHILADELPHIA." 
—  DECATUR'S  DARING  ADVENTURE. 


HE  return  of  Commodore  Dale  from  the  Mediterranean,  and  the 
reports  which  he  brought  of  the  continued  aggressions  and 
insolence  of  the  Barbary  powers,  made  a  very  marked  change  in 
the  temper  of  the  people  of  the  United  States.  Early  in  1802 
Congress  passed  laws,  which,  though  not  in  form  a  formal  declaration  of 
war,  yet  permitted  the  vigorous  prosecution  of  hostilities  against  Tripoli, 
Algiers,  or  any  other  of  the  Barbary  powers.  A  squadron  was  immediately 
ordered  into  commission  for  the  purpose  of  chastising  the  corsairs,  and 
was  put  under  the  command  of  Commodore  Morris.  The  vessels  detailed 
for  this  service  were  the  "  Chesapeake,"  thirty-eight ;  "  Constellation," 
thirty-eight;  "New  York,"  thirty-six;  "John  Adams,"  twenty-eight; 
"  Adams,"  twenty-eight ;  and  "  Enterprise,"  twelve.  Some  months  were 
occupied  in  getting  the  vessels  into  condition  for  sea;  and  while  the 
1 88 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  189 

"  Enterprise "  started  in  February  for  the  Mediterranean,  it  was  not 
until  September  that  the  last  ship  of  the  squadron  followed  her.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  the  "  Philadelphia "  and  "  Essex,"  of  Dale's  squadron, 
had  been  left  in  the  Mediterranean  ;  and  as  the  "  Boston,"  twenty-eights 
had  been  ordered  to  cruise  in  those  waters  after  carrying  United  States 
Minister  Livingstone  to  France,  the  power  of  the  Western  Republic  was 
well  supported  before  the  coast-line  of  Barbary. 

The  "  Enterprise"  and  the  "  Constellation "  were  the  first  of  the 
squadron  to  reach  the  Mediterranean,  and  they  straightway  proceeded 
to  Tripoli  to  begin  the  blockade  of  that  port.  One  day,  while  the 
"  Constellation  "  was  lying  at  anchor  some  miles  from  the  town,  the  lookout 
reported  that  a  number  of  small  craft  were  stealing  along,  close  in  shore, 
and  evidently  trying  to  sneak  into  the  harbor.  Immediately  the  anchor 
was  raised,  and  the  frigate  set  out  in  pursuit.  The  strangers  proved  to  be 
a  number  of  Tripolitan  gun-boats,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  though  they 
would  be  cut  off  by  the  swift-sailing  frigate.  As  they  came  within  range 
the  "  Constellation "  opened  a  rapid  and  well-directed  fire,  which  soon 
drove  the  gun-boats  to  protected  coves  and  inlets  in  the  shore.  The 
Americans  then  lowered  their  boats  with  the  intention  of  engaging  the 
enemy  alongshore,  but  at  this  moment  a  large  body  of  cavalry  came 
galloping  out  from  town  to  the  rescue.  The  Yankees,  therefore,  returned 
to  their  ship,  and,  after  firing  a  few  broadsides  at  the  cavalry,  sailed  away. 

Thereafter,  for  nearly  a  year,  the  record  of  the  American  squadron 
in  the  Mediterranean  was  uneventful.  Commodore  Morris  showed  little 
disposition  to  push  matters  to  an  issue,  but  confined  his  operations  to 
sailing  from  port  to  port,  and  instituting  brief  and  imperfect  blockades. 

In  April,  1803,  the  squadron  narrowly  escaped  being  seriously  weakened 
by  the  loss  of  the  "  New  York."  It  was  when  this  vessel  was  off  Malta, 
on  her  way  to  Tripoli  in  company  with  the  "  John  Adams "  and  the 
"  Enterprise."  The  drums  had  just  beat  to  grog  ;  and  the  sailors,  tin  cup 
in  hand,  were  standing  in  a  line  on  the  main  deck  waiting  their  turns  at 
the  grog-tub.  Suddenly  a  loud  explosion  was  heard,  and  the  lower  part 
of  the  ship  was  filled  with  smoke. 

"The  magazine  is  on  fire,"  was  the  appalling  cry;  and  for  a  moment 
confusion  reigned  everywhere.  All  knew  that  the  explosion  must  have 
been  near  the  magazine.  There  was  no  one  to  command,  for  at  the  grog 


190  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

hour  the  sailors  are  left  to  their  own  occupations,  So  the  confusion  spread, 
and  there  seemed  to  be  grave  danger  of  a  panic,  when  Capt.  Chaunce;y 
came  on  deck.  A  drummer  passed  hurriedly  by  him. 

"  Drummer,  beat  to  quarters  !  "  was  the  quick,  sharp  command  of  the 
captain.  The  drummer  stopped  short,  and  in  a  moment  the  resonant  roll 
of  the  drum  rose  above  the  shouts  and  the  tramping  of  feet.  As  the 
well-known  call  rose  on  the  air,  the  men  regained  their  self-control,  and 
went  quietly  to  their  stations  at  the  guns,  as  though  preparing  to  give 
battle  to  an  enemy. 

When  order  had  been  restored,  Capt.  Chauncey  commanded  the  boats 
to  be  lowered  ;  but  the  effect  of  this  was  to  arouse  the  panic  again.  The 
people  rushed  from  the  guns,  and  crowded  out  upon  the  bowsprit,  the 
spritsail-yard,  and  the  knightheads.  Some  leaped  into  the  sea,  and  swam 
for  the  nearest  vessel.  All  strove  to  get  as  far  from  the  magazine  as 
possible.  This  poltroonery  disgusted  Chauncey. 

"Volunteers,  follow  me,"  he  cried.  "Remember,  lads,  it's  just  as  well 
to  be  blown  through  three  decks  as  one." 

So  saying  he  plunged  down  the  smoky  hatchway,  followed  by  Lieut 
David  Porter  and  some  other  officers.  Blinded  and  almost  stifled  by 
the  smoke,  they  groped  their  way  to  the  seat  of  the  danger.  With  wet 
blankets,  and  buckets  of  water,  they  began  to  fight  the  flames.  As  their 
efforts  began  to  meet  with  success,  one  of  the  officers  went  on  deck,  and 
succeeded  in  rallying  the  men,  and  forming  two  lines  of  water-carriers. 
After  two  hours'  hard  work,  the  ship  was  saved. 

The  explosion  was  a  serious  one,  many  of  the  bulkheads  having  been 
blown  down,  and  nineteen  officers  and  men  seriously  injured,  of  whom 
fourteen  died.  It  came  near  leading  to  a  still  more  serious  blunder;  for, 
when  the  flames  broke  out,  the  quartermaster  was  ordered  to  hoist  the 
signal,  "A  fire  on  board."  In  his  trepidation  he  mistook  the  signal,  and 
announced,  "A  mutiny  on  board."  Seeing  this,  Capt.  Rodgers  of  the 
"  John  Adams "  beat  his  crew  to  quarters,  and  with  shotted  guns 
and  open  ports  took  up  a  raking  position  astern  of  the  "New  York," 
ready  to  quell  the  supposed  mutiny.  Luckily  he  discovered  his  error 
without  causing  loss  of  life. 

For  a  month  after  this  incident,  the  ships  were  detained  at  Malta 
making  repairs;  but,  near  the  end  of  May,  the  "John  Adams,"  "Adams," 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  191 

"  New  York,"  and  "  Enterprise "  took  up  the  blockade  of  Tripoli.  One 
afternoon  a  number  of  merchant  vessels  succeeded  in  evading  the 
blockaders,  and  though  cut  off  from  the  chief  harbor  of  the  town,  yet  took 
refuge  in  the  port  of  Old  Tripoli.  They  were  small  lanteen-rigged  feluccas 
of  light  draught  ;  and  they  threaded  the  narrow  channels,  and  skimmed 
over  shoals  whither  the  heavy  men-of-war  could  not  hope  to  follow  them. 
Scarcely  had  they  reached  the  shore  when  preparations  were  made  for 
their  defence  against  any  cutting-out  party  the  Americans  might  send 
for  their  capture.  On  the  shore  near  the  spot  where  the  feluccas  were 
beached,  stood  a  heavy  stone  building,  which  was  taken  possession  ot 
by  a  party  of  troops  hastily  despatched  from  the  city.  The  feluccas  were 
laden  with  wheat,  packed  in  sacks ;  and  these  sacks  were  taken  ashore 
in  great  numbers,  and  piled  up  on  either  side  of  the  great  building  so 
as  to  form  breastworks.  So  well  were  the  works  planned,  that  they 
formed  an  almost  impregnable  fortress.  Behind  its  walls  the  Tripolitans 
stood  ready  to  defend  their  stranded  vessels. 

That  night  Lieut.  Porter  took  a  light  boat,  and  carefully  reconnoitred 
the  position  of  the  enemy.  He  was  discovered,  and  driven  away  by  a 
heavy  fire  of  musketry,  but  not  before  he  had  taken  the  bearings  of 
the  feluccas  and  their  defences.  The  next  morning  he  volunteered  to 
go  in  and  destroy  the  boats,  and,  having  obtained  permission,  set  out, 
accompanied  by  Lieut.  James  Lawrence  and  a  strong  party  of  sailors. 
There  was  no  attempt  at  concealment  or  surprise.  The  Americans  pushed 
boldly  forward,  in  the  teeth  of  a  heavy  fire  from  the  Tripolitans.  No 
attempt  was  made  to  return  the  fire,  for  the  enemy  was  securely  posted 
behind  his  ramparts.  The  Yankees  could  only  bend  to  their  oars,  and 
press  forward  with  all  possible  speed.  At  last  the  beach  was  reached,  and 
boats-prows  grated  upon  the  pebbly  sand.  Quickly  the  jackies  leaped 
from  their  places;  and  while  some  engaged  the  Tripolitans,  others,  torch 
in  hand,  clambered  upon  the  feluccas,  and  set  fire  to  the  woodwork  and 
the  tarred  cordage.  When  the  flames  had  gained  some  headway,  the 
incendiaries  returned  to  their  boats,  and  made  for  the  squadron  again, 
feeling  confident  that  the  Tripolitans  could  do  nothing  to  arrest  the 
conflagration.  But  they  had  underestimated  the  courage  of  the  barbarians ; 
for  no  sooner  had  the  boats  pushed  off,  than  the  Tripolitans  rushed 
down  to  the  shore,  and  strained  every  muscle  for  the  preservation  of 


IQ2  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

their  ships.  The  men-of-war  rained  grape-shot  upon  them ;  but  they 
persevered,  and  before  Porter  and  his  followers  regained  their  ships, 
the  triumphant  cries  of  the  Tripolitans  gave  notice  the  flames  were 
extinguished.  Porter  had  been  severely  wounded  in  the  thigh,  and  twelve 
or  fifteen  of  his  men  had  been  killed  or  wounded  ;  so  that  the  failure  of 
the  expedition  to  fully  accomplish  its  purpose  was  bitterly  lamented.  The 
loss  of  the  enemy  was  never  definitely  ascertained,  though  several  were 
seen  to  fall  during  the  conflict.  On  both  sides  the  most  conspicuous 
gallantry  was  shown  ;  the  fighting  was  at  times  almost  hand  to  hand,  and 
once,  embarrassed  by  the  lack  of  ammunition,  the  Tripolitans  seized  heavy 
stones,  and  hurled  them  down  upon  their  assailants. 

For  some  weeks  after  this  occurrence,  no  conflict  took  place  between 
the  belligerents.  Commodore  Morris,  after  vainly  trying  to  negotiate  a 
peace  with  Tripoli,  sailed  away  to  Malta,  leaving  the  "John  Adams"  and 
the  "Adams"  to  blockade  the  harbor.  To  them  soon  returned  the 
"Enterprise,"  and  the  three  vessels  soon  after  robbed  the  Bey  of  his 
largest  corsair. 

On  the  night  of  the  2ist  of  June,  an  unusual  commotion  about  the 
harbor  led  the  Americans  to  suspect  that  an  attempt  was  being  made 
to  run  the  blockade.  A  strict  watch  was  kept ;  and,  before  morning,  the 
"  Enterprise "  discovered  a  large  cruiser  sneaking  along  the  coast  toward 
the  harbor's  mouth.  The  Tripolitan  was  heavy  enough  to  have  blown 
the  Yankee  schooner  out  of  the  water ;  but,  instead  of  engaging  her,  she 
retreated  to  a  small  cove,  and  took  up  a  favorable  position  for  action. 
Signals  from  the  "  Enterprise "  soon  brought  the  other  United  States 
vessels  to  the  spot ;  while  in  response  to  rockets  and  signal  guns  from 
the  corsair,  a  large  body  of  Tripolitan  cavalry  came  galloping  down  the 
beach,  and  a  detachment  of  nine  gunboats  came  to  the  assistance  of 
the  beleaguered  craft. 

No  time  was  lost  in  manoeuvring.  Taking  up  a  position  within  point- 
blank  range,  the  "John  Adams"  and  the  "Enterprise"  opened  fire  on 
the  enemy,  who  returned  it  with  no  less  spirit.  For  forty-five  minutes 
the  cannonade  was  unabated.  The  shot  of  the  American  gunners  were 
seen  to  hull  the  enemy  repeatedly,  and  at  last  the  Tripolitans  began  to 
desert  their  ship.  Over  the  rail  and  through  the  open  ports  the  panic- 
stricken  corsairs  dropped  into  the  water.  The  shot  of  the  Yankees  had 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  193 

made  the  ship's  deck  too  hot  a  spot  for  the  Tripolitans,  and  they  fled 
with  great  alacrity.  When  the  last  had  left  the  ship,  the  "  John  Adams  " 
prepared  to  send  boats  to  take  possession  of  the  prize.  But  at  this 
moment  a  boat-load  of  Tripolitans  returned  to  the  corsair ;  and  the 
Americans,  thinking  they  were  rallying,  began  again  their  cannonade. 
Five  minutes  later,  while  the  boat's-crew  was  still  on  the  Tripolitan  ship, 
she  blew  up.  The  watchers  heard  a  sudden  deafening  roar ;  saw  a  volcanic 
burst  of  smoke ;  saw  rising  high  above  the  smoke  the  main  and  mizzen 
masts  of  the  shattered  vessel,  with  the  yards,  rigging,  and  hamper  attached. 
When  the  smoke  cleared  away,  only  a  shapeless  hulk  occupied  the  place 
where  the  proud  corsair  had  so  recently  floated.  What  caused  the 
explosion,  cannot  be  told.  Were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  many  of  the 
Tripolitans  were  blown  up  with  the  ship,  it  might  be  thought  that  she  had 
been  destroyed  by  her  own  people. 

After  this  encounter,  the  three  United  States  vessels  proceeded  to 
Malta.  Here  Commodore  Morris  found  orders  for  his  recall,  and  he 
returned  to  the  United  States  in  the  "Adams."  In  his  place  Commodore 
Preble  had  been  chosen  to  command  the  naval  forces  ;  and  that  officer, 
with  the  "Constitution,"  forty-four,  arrived  in  the  Mediterranean  in 
September,  1802.  Following  him  at  brief  intervals  came  the  other  vessels 
of  his  squadron, — the  "Vixen"  twelve,  "Siren"  sixteen,  and  "Argus" 
sixteen ;  the  "  Philadelphia "  thirty-eight,  and  the  "  Nautilus "  twelve, 
having  reached  the  Mediterranean  before  the  commodore.  Three  of  these 
vessels  were  commanded  by  young  officers,  destined  to  win  enduring  fame 
in  the  ensuing  war,  —  Stephen  Decatur,  William  Bainbridge,  and  Richard 
Somers. 

Before  the  last  vessel  of  this  fleet  reached  the  Mediterranean,  a 
disaster  had  befallen  one  of  the  foremost  vessels,  which  cost  the  United 
States  a  good  man-of-war,  and  forced  a  ship's  crew  of  Yankee  seamen  to 
pass  two  years  of  their  lives  in  the  cells  of  a  Tripolitan  fortress.  This 
vessel  was  the  "  Philadelphia,"  Capt.  Bainbridge.  She  had  reached  the 
Mediterranean  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  and  signalled  her  arrival 
by  overhauling  and  capturing  the  cruiser  "Meshboha,"  belonging  to  the 
emperor  of  Morocco.  With  the  cruiser  was  a  small  brig,  which  proved 
to  be  an  American  merchantman ;  and  in  her  hold  were  found  the  captain 
and  seven  men,  tied  hand  and  foot.  Morocco  was  then  ostensibly  on 


194  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

friendly  terms  with  the  United  States,  and  Bainbridge  demanded  of  the 
captain  of  the  cruiser  by  what  right  he  had  captured  an  American  vessel. 
To  this  the  Moor  returned,  that  he  had  done  so,  anticipating  a  war  which 
had  not  yet  been  declared. 

"  Then,  sir,"  said  Bainbridge  sternly,  "  I  must  consider  you  as  a 
pirate,  and  shall  treat  you  as  such.  I  am  going  on  deck  for  fifteen 
minutes.  If,  when  I  return,  you  can  show  me  no  authority  for  your 
depredations  upon  American  commerce,  I  shall  hang  you  at  the  yard-arm." 

So  saying,  Bainbridge  left  the  cabin.  In  fifteen  minutes  he  returned, 
and,  throwing  the  cabin  doors  open,  stepped  in  with  a  file  of  marines  at 
his  heels.  In  his  hand  he  held  his  watch,  and  he  cast  upon  the  Moor 
a  look  of  stern  inquiry.  Not  a  word  was  said,  but  the  prisoner  understood 
the  dread  import  of  that  glance.  Nervously  he  began  to  unbutton  the 
voluminous  waistcoats  which  encircled  his  body,  and  from  an  inner  pocket 
of  the  fifth  drew  forth  a  folded  paper.  It  was  a  commission  directing  . 
him  to  make  prizes  of  all  American  craft  that  might  come  in  his  path. 
No  more  complete  evidence  of  the  treachery  of  Morocco  could  be  desired. 
Bainbridge  sent  the  paper  to  Commodore  Preble,  and,  after  stopping  at 
Gibraltar  a  day  or  two,  proceeded  to  his  assigned  position  off  the  harbor 
of  Tripoli. 

In  the  latter  part  of  October,  the  lookout  on  the  "Philadelphia"  spied 
a  vessel  running  into  the  harbor,  and  the  frigate  straightway  set  out  in 
chase.  The  fugitive  showed  a  clean  pair  of  heels ;  and  as  the  shots  from 
the  bow-chasers  failed  to  take  effect,  and  the  water  was  continually  shoaling 
before  the  frigate's  bow,  the  helm  was  put  hard  down,  and  the  frigate 
began  to  come  about.  But  just  at  that  moment  she  ran  upon  a  shelving 
rock,  and  in  an  instant  was  hard  and  fast  aground. 

The  Americans  were  then  in  a  most  dangerous  predicament  The 
sound  of  the  firing  had  drawn  a  swarm  of  gun-boats  out  of  the  harbor 
of  Tripoli,  and  they  were  fast  bearing  clown  upon  the  helpless  frigate. 
Every  possible  expedient  was  tried  for  the  release  of  the  ship,  but  to  no 
avail.  At  last  the  gunboats,  discovering  her  helpless  condition,  crowded 
so  thick  about  her  that  there  was  no  course  open  but  to  strike.  And  so, 
after  flooding  the  magazine,  throwing  overboard  all  the  small-arms,  and 
knocking  holes  in  the  bottom  of  the  ship,  Bainbridge  reluctantly 
surrendered. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  195 

Hardly  had  the  flag  touched  the  deck,  when  the  gun-boats  were 
alongside.  If  the  Americans  expected  civilized  treatment,  they  were  sadly 
mistaken,  for  an  undisciplined  rabble  came  swarming  over  the  taffrail. 
Lockers  and  chests  were  broken  open,  store-rooms  ransacked,  officers  and 
.nen  stripped  of  all  the  articles  of  finery  they  were  wearing.  It  was  a 
scene  of  unbridled  pillage,  in  which  the  Tripolitan  officers  were  as  active 
as  their  men.  An  officer  being  held  fast  in  the  grasp  of  two  of  the 
Tripolitans,  a  third  would  ransack  his  pockets,  and  strip  him  of  any 
property  they  might  covet.  Swords,  watches,  jewels,  and  money  were 
promptly  confiscated  by  the  captors  ;  and  they  even  ripped  the  epaulets 
from  the  shoulders  of  the  officers'  uniforms.  No  resistance  was  made, 
until  one  of  the  pilferers  tried  to  tear  from  Bainbridge  an  ivory  miniature 
of  his  young  and  beautiful  wife.  Wresting  himself  free,  the  captain 
knocked  down  the  vandal,  and  made  so  determined  a  resistance  that  his 
despoilers  allowed  him  to  keep  the  picture. 

When  all  the  portable  property  was  in  the  hands  of  the  victors,  the 
Americans  were  loaded  into  boats,  and  taken  ashore.  It  was  then  late  at 
night  ;  but  the  captives  were  marched  through  the  streets  to  the  palace 
of  the  Bashaw,  and  exhibited  to  that  functionary.  After  expressing  great 
satisfaction  at  the  capture,  the  Bashaw  ordered  the  sailors  thrown  into 
prison,  while  the  officers  remained  that  night  as  his  guests.  He  entertained 
them  with  an  excellent  supper,  but  the  next  morning  they  were  shown  to 
the  gloomy  prison  apartments  that  were  destined  to  be  their  home  until  the 
end  of  the  war.  Of  their  life  there  we  shall  have  more  to  say  hereafter. 

While  this  disaster  had  befallen  the  American  cause  before  Tripoli, 
Commodore  Preble  in  the  flag-ship  "  Constitution,"  accompanied  by  the 
"  Nautilus,"  had  reached  Gibraltar.  There  he  found  Commodore  Rodgers, 
whom  he  was  to  relieve,  with  the  "New  York"  and  the  "John  Adams." 
Hardly  had  the  commodore  arrived,  when  the  case  of  the  captured  Morocco 
ship  "  Meshboha  "  was  brought  to  his  attention ;  and  he  straightway  went 
to  Tangier  to  request  the  emperor  to  define  his  position  with  regard  to 
the  United  States.  Though  the  time  of  Commodore  Rodgers  on  the 
Mediterranean  station  had  expired,  he  consented  to  accompany  Preble  to 
Tangier ;  and  the  combined  squadrons  of  the  two  commodores  had  so 
great  an  effect  upon  the  emperor,  that  he  speedily  concluded  a  treaty. 
Commodore  Rodgers  then  sailed  for  the  United  States,  and  Preble  began 
his  preparations  for  an  active  prosecution  of  the  war  with  Tripoli. 


196  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

It  was  on  the  3ist  of  October  that  the  "Philadelphia"  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Tripolitans,  but  it  was  not  until  Nov.  27  that  the  news  of 
the  disaster  reached  Commodore  Preble  and  -the  other  officers  of  the 
squadron.  Shortly  after  the  receipt  of  the  news,  the  commodore  proceeded 
with  his  flag- ship,  accompanied  by  the  "Enterprise,"  to  Tripoli,  to  renew 
the  blockade  which  had  been  broken  by  the  loss  of  the  "  Philadelphia." 

It  was  indeed  high  time  that  some  life  should  be  infused  into  the  war 
with  Tripoli.  Commodore  Dale  had  been  sent  to  the  Mediterranean  with 
instructions  that  tied  him  hand  and  foot.  Morris,  who  followed  him, 
was  granted  more  discretion  by  Congress,  but  had  not  been  given  the 
proper  force.  Now  that  Preble  had  arrived  with  a  sufficient  fleet,  warlike 
instructions,  and  a  reputation  for  dash  unexcelled  by  that  of  any  officer 
in  the  navy,  the  blue-jackets  looked  for  some  active  service.  Foreign 
nations  were  beginning  to  speak  scornfully  of  the  harmless  antics  of  the 
United  States  fleet  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  younger  American 
officers  had  fought  more  than  one  duel  with  foreigners  to  uphold  the 
honor  of  the  American  service.  They  now  looked  to  Preble  to  give  them 
a  little  active  service.  An  incident  which  occurred  shortly  after  the  arrival 
of  the  "  Constitution "  in  the  Bay  of  Gibraltar  convinced  the  American 
officers  that  their  commodore  had  plenty  of  fire  and  determination  in  his 
character. 

One  night  the  lookouts  reported  a  large  vessel  alongside,  and  the  hail 
from  the  "Constitution"  brought  only  a  counter-hail  from  the  stranger. 
Both  vessels  continued  to  hail  without  any  answer  being  returned,  when 
Preble  came  on  deck.  Taking  the  trumpet  from  the  hand  of  the  quarter 
master,  he  shouted,  — 

"I  now  hail  you  for  the  last  time.  If  you  do  not  answer,  I'll  fire  a 
shot  into  you." 

"If  you  fire,  I'll  return  a  broadside,"  was  the  reply. 

"  I'd  like  to  see  you  do  it.  I  now  hail  you  for  an  answer.  What  ship 
is  that?" 

"This  is  H.  B.  M.  ship  'Donegal,'  eighty-four;  Sir  Richard  Strachan, 
an  English  commodore.  Send  a  boat  aboard." 

"This  is  the  United  States  ship  'Constitution,'  forty-four,"  answered 
Preble,  in  high  dudgeon ;  "  Edward  Preble,  an  American  commodore  ; 
and  I'll  be  d — d  if  I  send  a  boat  on  board  of  any  ship.  Blow  your  matches, 
boys !  " 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  197 

The  Englishman  saw  a  conflict  coming,  and  sent  a  boat  aboard  with 
profuse  apologies.  She  was  really  the  frigate  "  Maidstone,"  but  being  in 
no  condition  for  immediate  battle  had  prolonged  the  hailing  in  order  to 
make  needed  preparations. 

On  the  23d  of  December,  while  the  "Constitution"  and  "Enterprise" 
were  blockading  Tripoli,  the  latter  vessel  overhauled  and  captured  the 
ketch  "  Mastico,"  freighted  with  female  slaves  that  were  being  sent  by 
the  Bashaw  of  Tripoli  to  the  Porte,  as  a  gift.  The  capture  in  itself  was 
unimportant,  save  for  the  use  made  of  the  ketch  later. 

The  vessels  of  the  blockading  squadron,  from  their  station  outside  the 
bar,  could  see  the  captured  "  Philadelphia  "  riding  lightly  at  her  moorings 
under  the  guns  of  the  Tripolitan  batteries.  Her  captors  had  carefully 
repaired  the  injuries  the  Americans  had  inflicted  upon  the  vessel  before 
surrendering.  Her  foremast  was  again  in  place,  the  holes  in  her  bottom 
were  plugged,  the  scars  of  battle  were  effaced,  and  she  rode  at  anchor 
as  pretty  a  frigate  as  ever  delighted  the  eye  of  a  tar. 

From  his  captivity  Bainbridge  had  written  letters  to  Commodore 
Preble,  with  postscripts  written  in  lemon-juice,  and  illegible  save  when 
the  sheet  of  paper  was  exposed  to  the  heat.  In  these  postscripts  he 
urged  the  destruction  of  the  "Philadelphia."  Lieut.  Stephen  Decatur, 
in  command  of  the  "  Enterprise,"  eagerly  seconded  these  proposals,  and 
proposed  to  cut  into  the  port  with  the  "  Enterprise,"  and  undertake 
the  destruction  of  the  captured  ship.  Lieut. -Commander  Stewart  of  the 
"Nautilus"  made  the  same  proposition;  but  Preble  rejected  both,  not 
wishing  to  imperil  a  man-of-war  on  so  hazardous  an  adventure. 

The  commodore,  however,  had  a  project  of  his  own  which  he 
communicated  to  Decatur,  and  in  which  that  adventurous  sailor  heartily 
joined.  This  plan  was  to  convert  the  captured  ketch  into  a  man-of-war, 
man  her  with  volunteers,  and  with  her  attempt  the  perilous  adventure 
of  the  destruction  of  the  "Philadelphia."  The  project  once  broached  was 
quickly  carried  into  effect.  The  ketch  was  taken  into  the  service,  and 
named  the  "Intrepid."  News  of  the  expedition  spread  throughout  the 
squadron,  and  many  officers  eagerly  volunteered  their  services.  When 
the  time  was  near  at  hand,  Decatur  called  the  crew  of  the  "  Enterprise  " 
together,  told  them  of  the  plan  of  the  proposed  expedition,  pointed  out 
its  dangers,  and  called  for  volunteers.  Every  man  and  boy  on  the  vessel 


198  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 

stepped  forward,  and  begged  to  be  taken.  Decatur  chose  sixty-two 
picked  men,  and  was  about  to  leave  the  deck,  when  his  steps  were 
arrested  by  a  young  boy  who  begged  hard  to  be  taken. 

"  Why  do  you  want  to  go,  Jack  ?  "  asked  the  commodore. 

"Well,  sir,"  said  Jack,  "you  see,  I'd  kinder  like  to  see  the  country." 

The  oddity  of  the  boy's  reason  struck  Decatur's  fancy,  and  he  told 
Jack  to  report  with  the  rest. 

On  the  night  of  Feb.  3,  1804,  the  "Intrepid,"  accompanied  by  the 
"Siren,"  parted  company  with  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  and  made  for  Tripoli. 
The  voyage  was  stormy  and  fatiguing.  More  than  seventy  men  were 
cooped  up  in  the  little  ketch,  which  had  quarters  scarcely  for  a  score. 
The  provisions  which  had  been  put  aboard  were  in  bad  condition,  so  that 
after  the  second  day  they  had  only  bread  and  water  upon  which  to  live. 
When  they  had  reached  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Tripoli,  they 
were  driven  back  by  the  fury  of  the  gale,  and  forced  to  take  shelter 
In  a  neighboring  cove.  There  they  remained  until  the  1 5th,  .repairing 
damages,  and  completing  their  preparations  for  the  attack. 

The  weather  having  moderated,  the  two  vessels  left  their  place  of 
concealment,  and  shaped  their  course  for  Tripoli.  On  the  way,  Decatur 
gave  his  forces  careful  instructions  as  to  the  method  of  attack.  The 
Americans  were  divided  into  several  boarding  parties,  each  with  its  own 
officer  and  work.  One  party  was  to  keep  possession  of  the  upper  deck, 
another  was  to  carry  the  gun-deck,  a  third  should  drive  the  enemy  from 
the  steerage,  and  so  on.  All  were  to  carry  pistols  in  their  belts  ;  but  the 
fighting,  as  far  as  possible,  was  to  be  done  with  cutlasses,  so  that  no 
noise  might  alarm  the  enemy  in  the  batteries,  and  the  vessels  in  the  port. 
One  party  was  to  hover  near  the  "Philadelphia"  in  a  light  boat,  and 
kill  all  Tripolitans  who  might  try  to  escape  to  the  shore  by  swimming. 
The  watchword  for  the  night  was  "Philadelphia." 

About  noon,  the  "  Intrepid "  came  in  sight  of  the  towers  of  Tripoli. 
Both  the  ketch  and  the  "  Siren  "  had  been  so  disguised  that  the  enemy 
could  not  recognize  them,  and  they  therefore  stood  boldly  for  the  harbor. 
As  the  wind  was  fresh,  Decatur  saw  that  he  was  likely  to  make  port 
before  night ;  and  he  therefore  dragged  a  cable  and  a  number  of  buckets 
astern  to  lessen  his  speed,  fearing  to  take  in  sail,  lest  the  suspicions 
of  the  enemy  should  be  aroused. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  J99 

When  within  about  five  miles  of  the  town,  the  "Philadelphia"  became 
risible.  She  floated  lightly  at  her  anchorage  under  the  guns  of  two 
heavy  batteries.  Behind  her  lay  moored  two  Tripolitan  cruisers,  and 
near  by  was  a  fleet  of  gunboats.  It  was  a  powerful  stronghold  into 
which  the  Yankee  blue-jackets  were  about  to  carry  the  torch. 

About  ten  o'clock,  the  adventurers  reached  the  harbor's  mouth.  The 
wind  had  fallen  so  that  the  ketch  was  wafted  slowly  along  over  an  almost 
glassy  sea.  The  "  Siren "  took  up  a  position  in  the  offing,  while  the 
"Intrepid,"  with  her  devoted  crew,  steered  straight  for  the  frigate. 
A  new  moon  hung  in  the  sky.  From  the  city  arose  the  soft  low  murmur 
of  the  night.  In  the  fleet  all  was  still. 

On  the  decks  of  the  "  Intrepid "  but  twelve  men  were  visible.  The 
rest  lay  flat  on  the  deck,  in  the  shadow  of  the  bulwarks  or  weather-boards. 
Her  course  was  laid  straight  for  the  bow  of  the  frigate,  which  she 
was  to  foul.  When  within  a  short  distance,  a  hail  came  from  the 
"Philadelphia."  In  response,  the  pilot  of  the  ketch  answered,  that 
the  ketch  was  a  coaster  from  Malta,  that  she  had  lost  her  anchors  in  the 
late  gale,  and  had  been  nearly  wrecked,  and  that  she  now  asked  permission 
to  ride  by  the  frigate  during  the  night.  The  people  on  the  frigate  were 
wholly  deceived,  and  sent  out  ropes  to  the  ketch,  allowing  one  of  the 
boats  of  the  "  Intrepid "  to  make  a  line  fast  to  the  frigate.  The  ends 
of  the  ropes  on  the  ketch  were  passed  to  the  hidden  men,  who  pulled 
lustily  upon  them,  thus  bringing  the  little  craft  alongside  the  frigate. 
But,  as  she  came  into  clearer  view,  the  suspicions  of  the  Tripolitans  were 
aroused ;  and  when  at  last  the  anchors  of  the  "  Intrepid "  were  seen 
hanging  in  their  places  at  the  cat-heads,  the  Tripolitans  cried  out  that 
they  had  been  deceived,  and  warned  the  strangers  to  keep  off.  At  the 
same  moment  the  cry,  "  Americanos !  Americanos ! "  rang  through  the 
ship,  and  the  alarm  was  given. 

By  this  time  the  ketch  was  fast  to  the  frigate.  "  Follow  me,  lads," 
cried  Decatur,  and  sprang  for  the  chain-plates  of  the  "Philadelphia." 
Clinging  there,  he  renewed  his  order  to  board ;  and  the  men  sprang  to 
their  feet,  and  were  soon  clambering  on  board  the  frigate.  Lieut.  Morris 
first  trod  the  deck  of  the  "  Philadelphia,"  Decatur  followed  close  after, 
and  then  the  stream  of  men  over  the  rail  and  through  the  open  ports 
was  constant.  Complete  as  was  the  surprise,  the  entire  absence  of  any 


2CO  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

resistance  was  astonishing.  Few  of  the  Turks  had  weapons  in  their 
hands,  and  those  who  had  fled  before  the  advancing  Americans.  On  all 
sides  the  splashing  of  water  told  that  the  affrighted  Turks  were  trying 
to  make  their  escape  that  way.  In  ten  minutes  Decatur  and  his  men 
had  complete  possession  of  the  ship. 

Doubtless  at  that  moment  the  successful  adventurers  bitterly  regretted 
that  they  could  not  take  out  of  the  harbor  the  noble  frigate  they  had  so 
nobly  recaptured.  But  the  orders  of  the  commodore,  and  the  dangers  of 
their  own  situation,  left  them  no  choice.  Nothing  was  to  be  done  but 
to  set  fire  to  the  frigate,  and  retreat  with  all  possible  expedition.  The 
combustibles  were  brought  from  the  ketch,  and  piled  about  the  frigate, 
and  lighted.  So  quickly  was  the  work  done,  and  so  rapidly  did  the  flames 
spread,  that  the  people  who  lit  the  fires  in  the  storerooms  and  cockpit 
had  scarce  time  to  get  on  deck  before  their  retreat  was  cut  off  by  the 
flames.  Before  the  ketch  could  be  cast  off  from  the  sides  of  the  frigate, 
the  flames  came  pouring  out  of  the  port-holes,  and  flaming  sparks  fell 
aboard  the  smaller  vessel,  so  that  the  ammunition  which  lay  piled  amid 
ships  was  in  grave  danger  of  being  exploded.  Axes  and  cutlasses  were 
swung  with  a  will ;  and  soon  the  bonds  which  held  the  two  vessels 
together  were  cut,  and  the  ketch  was  pushed  off.  Then  the  blue-jackets 
bent  to  their  sweeps,  and  soon  the  "  Intrepid  "  was  under  good  headway. 
"  Now,  lads,"  cried  Decatur,  "give  them  three  cheers." 
And  the  jackies  responded  with  ringing  cheers,  that  mingled  with  the 
roar  of  the  flames  that  now  had  the  frame  of  the  "  Philadelphia  "  in  their 
control.  Then  they  grasped  their  sweeps  again,  and  the  little  vessel  glided 
away  through  a  hail  of  grape  and  round  shot  from  the  Tripolitan  batteries 
and  men-of-war.  Though  the  whistle  of  the  missiles  was  incessant,  and 
the  splash  of  round-shot  striking  the  water  could  be  heard  on  every  side, 
no  one  in  the  boat  was  hurt ;  and  the  only  shot  that  touched  the  ketch 
went  harmlessly  through  her  mainsail.  As  they  pulled  away,  they  saw 
the  flames  catch  the  rigging  of  the  "  Philadelphia,"  and  run  high  up  the 
masts.  Then  the  hatchways  were  burst  open,  and  great  gusts  of  flame 
leaped  out.  The  shotted  guns  of  the  frigate  were  discharged  in  quick 
succession ;  one  battery  sending  its  iron  messengers  into  the  streets  of 
Tripoli,  while  the  guns  on  the  other  side  bore  upon  Fort  English.  The 
angry  glare  of  the  flames,  and  the  flash  of  the  cannon,  lighted  up  the  bay ; 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  20 1 

while  the  thunders  of  the  cannonade,  and  the  cries  of  the  Tripolitans, 
told  of  the  storm  that  was  raging. 

The  ruddy  light  of  the  burning  ship  bore  good  news  to  two  anxious 
parties  of  Decatur's  friends.  Capt.  Bainbridge  and  the  other  American 
officers  whom  the  Tripolitans  had  captured  with  the  "  Philadelphia  "  were 
imprisoned  in  a  tower  looking  out  upon  the  bay.  The  rapid  thunder  of 
the  cannonade  on  this  eventful  night  awakened  them ;  and  they  rushed 
to  their  windows,  to  see  the  "  Philadelphia,"  the  Bashaw's  boasted  prize, 
in  flames.  Right  lustily  they  added  their  cheers  to  the  general  tumult, 
nor  ceased  their  demonstrations  of  joy  until  a  surly  guard  came  and 
ordered  them  from  the  windows. 

Far  out  to  sea  another  band  of  watchers  hailed  the  light  of  the 
conflagration  with  joy.  The  "  Siren "  had  gone  into  the  offing  when 
the  "  Intrepid  "  entered  the  harbor,  and  there  awaited  with  intense  anxiety 
the  outcome  of  the  adventure.  After  an  hour's  suspense,  a  rocket  was 
seen  to  mount  into  the  sky,  and  burst  over  Tripoli.  It  was  the  signal 
of  success  agreed  upon.  Boats  were  quickly  lowered,  and  sent  to  the 
harbor's  mouth  to  meet  and  cover  the  retreat  of  the  returning  party. 
Hardly  had  they  left  the  side  of  the  ship,  when  the  red  light  in  the  sky 
told  that  the  "  Philadelphia "  was  burning ;  and  an  hour  later  Decatur 
himself  sprang  over  the  taffrail,  and  proudly  announced  his  victory. 

Not  a  man  had  been  lost  in  the  whole  affair.  As  the  expedition  had 
been  perfect  in  conception,  so  it  was  perfect  in  execution.  The  adventure 
became  the  talk  of  all  Europe.  Lord  Nelson,  England's  greatest  admiral, 
said  of  it,  "It  was  the  most  bold  and  daring  act  of  the  ages."  And  when 
the  news  reached  the  United  States,  Decatur,  despite  his  youth,  was 
made  a  captain. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


^  STIRRING  YEAR. -THE  BOMBARDMENT  OF  TRIPOLI.  -  DECATUR'S  HAND-TO-HAND  FIGHT.- 
LIEUT.  TRIPPE'S  BRAVERY.  -  LIEUT.  SPENCE'S  BOLD  DEED. -SOMERS'S  NARROW  ESCAPE. 
—  THE  FLOATING  MINE. -THE  FATAL  EXPLOSION.  -  CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR.-THE  END, 

ECATUR'S  brilliant  exploit  set  the  key-note  for  the  year  1804; 
and,  for  the  remainder  of  that  year,  the  Americans  carried  on 
the  war  with  no  less  spirit  and  dash.  A  high  degree  of  daring 
had  been  infused  into  the  men  by  so  notable  an  example ;  and 
long  before  the  year  was  out,  the  blue-jackets  began  to  consider  themselves 
invincible,  and  were  ready  to  undertake  any  exploit  for  which  their  services 
might  be  required. 

The  lesser  events  of  the  year,  we  must  pass  over  hastily.  The 
maintenance  of  the  blockade  of  Tripoli  led  to  one  or  two  slight  actions, 
and  an  occasional  capture  of  little  consequence.  Thus,  in  March,  the 
"Siren"  captured  the  "Transfer,"  privateer,  which  was  trying  to  run 
the  blockade.  A  month  or  two  later,  a  coasting  felucca,  loaded  with 
supplies,  was  chased  ashore  near  Tripoli,  and  two  boats'  crews  were 
sent  to  take  possession  of  her.  The  Tripolitans,  as  usual,  sent  out  a 
body  of  cavalry  to  protect  the  felucca,  and  the  Americans  were  driven 
off.  Thereupon  the  American  blockading  squadron  took  up  a  position 
within  range,  and  threw  solid  shot  into  the  felucca  until  she  was  a 
202 


COMMODOR^   DHCATUR 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76.  203 

complete  wreck.  Nor  did  the  Tripolitan  cavalry  escape  without  a  shot 
or  two. 

But  while  the  smaller  vessels  of  the  Mediterranean  squadron  were 
enforcing  the  blockade  before  Tripoli,  Commodore  Preble,  with  the 
flag-ship  and  the  larger  vessels,  was  at  Malta  preparing  for  a  vigorous 
attack  upon  the  city  of  the  Bashaw  itself.  He  had  added  to  the  fleet 
he  had  brought  with  him  from  the  United  States  two  bomb-vessels  and 
six  gunboats.  He  had  also  added  somewhat  to  the  armament  of  the 
"Constitution,"  and  now  proposed  to  try  the  effect  upon  Tripoli  of  a 
vigorous  bombardment.  By  the  2ist  of  July,  the  commodore  was  able  to 
leave  Malta  with  his  fleet,  fully  prepared  for  active  hostilities. 

Tripoli  was  then  defended  by  heavy  batteries  mounting  a  hundred  and 
fifteen  guns.  In  the  harbor  were  moored  nineteen  gunboats,  two  galleys, 
two  schooners,  and  a  brig.  The  available  force  under  the  command  of 
the  Bashaw  numbered  not  less  than  twenty-five  thousand  men.  It  was 
no  pygmy  undertaking  upon  which  the  Americans  had  embarked. 

On  the  3 ist  of  August,  1804,  the  first  attack  was  made;  and  though 
only  a  bombardment  of  the  town  had  been  contemplated,  there  followed 
one  of  the  most  desperate  hand-to-hand  naval  battles  recorded  in  history. 

It  was  a  sultry  midsummer  day,  and  the  white  walls  of  the  city  of 
Tripoli  glared  under  the  fierce  rays  of  a  tropical  sun.  A  light  breeze 
stirred  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  made  life  on  the  ships  bearable. 
Before  this  breeze  the  American  squadron  ran  down  towards  the  town. 
All  preparations  had  been  made  for  a  spirited  bombardment;  and  as  the 
Americans  drew  near  the  shore,  they  saw  that  the  Tripolitans  had 
suspected  the  attack,  and  had  made  ready  for  it. 

The  attacking  forces  formed  into  two  lines,  with  the  regular  naval 
vessels  in  the  rear,  and  the  gunboats  and  bomb-vessels  in  front.  As 
the  vessels  in  the  van  were  to  bear  the  brunt  of  the  battle,  they  were 
manned  by  picked  crews  from  the  larger  vessels,  and  had  for  their  officers 
the  most  daring  spirits  of  the  Mediterranean  squadron.  At  half-past 
two  the  firing  commenced,  and  soon  from  every  vessel  in  the  American 
line  shells  and  shot  were  being  thrown  into  the  city  of  the  Bashaw.  The 
Tripolitan  batteries  returned  the  fire  with  vigor,  and  their  gunboats 
pressed  forward  to  drive  the  assailants  back.  At  the  approach  of  the 

Tripoiitan  gunboats,  the  Americans  diverted  their  aim  from  the  city,  and, 
8 


204  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 

loading  with  grape  and  canister,  turned  upon  their  foes  a  murderous  fire. 
Upon  the  eastern  division  of  the  enemy's  gunboats,  nine  in  number, 
Decatur  led  the  four  boats  under  his  command.  The  advance  of  the 
enemy  was  checked  ;  but  still  the  Americans  pressed  on,  until  fairly  within 
the  smoke  of  the  Tripolitans'  guns.  Here  the  boats  were  held  in  position 
by  the  brawny  sailors  at  the  sweeps,  while  the  gunners  poured  grape  and 
canister  into  the  enemy.  Fearfully  were  the  Americans  outnumbered. 
They  could  hope  for  no  help  from  their  friends  in  the  men-of-war  in 
the  rear.  They  were  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  by  hostile  gunboats,  more 
strongly  manned,  and  heavier  in  metal,  than  they.  They  were  outnumbered 
three  to  one;  for  gunboat  No.  3,  which  had  belonged  to  Decatur's  division, 
had  drawn  out  of  the  fight  in  obedience  to  a  signal  for  recall,  which  had 
been  displayed  by  mistake  on  the  "Constitution."  Then  Decatur  displayed 
his  desperate  courage.  Signalling  to  his  companions  to  close  with  their 
adversaries  and  board,  he  laid  his  vessel  alongside  the  nearest  gunboat ; 
and  in  a  trice  every  American  of  the  crew  was  swarming  over  the  enemy's 
bulwarks.  Taken  by  surprise,  the  Turks  retreated.  The  gunboat  was 
divided  down  the  centre  by  a  long,  narrow  hatchway  ;  and  as  the  Yankees 
came  tumbling  over  the  bulwarks,  the  Turks  retreated  to  the  farther  side. 
This  gave  Decatur  time  to  rally  his  men ;  and,  dividing  them  into  two 
parties,  he  sent  one  party  around  by  the  stern  of  the  boat,  while  he  led 
a  party  around  the  bow.  The  Turks  were  dazed  by  the  suddenness  of 
the  attack,  and  cowed  by  the  fearful  effect  of  the  Americans'  last  volley 
before  boarding.  Their  captain  lay  dead,  with  fourteen  bullets  in  his 
body.  Many  of  the  officers  were  wounded,  and  all  the  survivors  were 
penned  into  a  narrow  space  by  the  two  parties  of  blue-jackets.  The 
contest  was  short.  Hampered  by  lack  of  room  in  which  to  wield  their 
weapons,  the  Turks  were  shot  down  or  bayoneted.  Many  leaped  over 
the  gunwale  into  the  sea ;  many  were  thrown  into  the  open  hatchway ; 
and  the  remnant,  throwing  down  their  arms,  pleaded  piteously  for  quarter. 
Decatur  had  no  time  to  exult  in  his  victory.  Hastily  securing  his  prisoners 
below  decks,  and  making  his  prize  fast  to  his  own  vessel,  he  bore  down 
upon  the  Tripolitan  next  to  leeward. 

While  shaping  his  course  for  this  vessel,  Decatur  was  arrested  by  a  hail 
from  the  gunboat  which  had  been  commanded  by  his  brother  James.  He 
was  told  that  his  brother  had  gallantly  engaged  and  captured  a  Tripolitan 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF  '76.  205 

gunboat,  but  that,  on  going  aboard  of  her  after  her  flag  had  been  struck, 
he  had  been  shot  down  by  the  cowardly  Turk  who  was  in  command.  The 
murderer  then  rallied  his  men,  drove  the  Americans  away,  and  carried 
his  craft  out  of  the  battle. 

Decatur's  grief  for  the  death  of  his  brother  gave  way,  for  the  time,  to 
his  anger  on  account  of  the  base  treachery  by  which  the  victim  met  his 
death.  Casting  prudence  to  the  winds,  he  turned  his  boat's  prow  towards 
the  gunboat  of  the  murderer,  and,  urging  on  his  rowers,  soon  laid  the 
enemy  aboard.  Cutlass  in  hand,  Decatur  was  first  on  the  deck  of  the 
enemy.  Behind  him  followed  close  Lieut.  Macdonough  and  nine  blue 
jackets.  Nearly  forty  Turks  were  ready  to  receive  the  boarders.  As  the 
boarders  came  over  the  rail,  they  fired  their  pistols  at  the  enemy,  and  then 
sprang  down,  cutlass  in  hand.  The  Turks  outnumbered  them  five  to  one ; 
but  the  Americans  rallied  in  a  bunch,  and  dealt  lusty  blows  right  and  left. 
At  last,  Decatur  singled  out  a  man  whom  he  felt  sure  was  the  commander, 
and  the  murderer  of  his  brother.  He  was  a  man  of  gigantic  frame ;  his 
head  covered  with  a  scarlet  cap,  his  face  half  hidden  by  a  bristly  black  beard. 
He  was  armed  with  a  heavy  boarding-pike,  with  which  he  made  a  fierce 
lunge  at  Decatur.  The  American  parried  the  blow,  and  make  a  stroke  at 
the  pike,  hoping  to  cut  off  its  point.  But  the  force  of  the  blow  injured  the 
Tripolitan's  weapon  not  a  whit,  while  Decatur's  cutlass  broke  short  off 
at  the  hilt.  With  a  yell  of  triumph  the  Turk  lunged  again.  Decatur 
threw  up  his  arm,  and  partially  avoided  the  thrust ;  so  that  the  pike  pierced 
his  breast,  but  inflicted  only  a  slight  wound.  Grappling  the  weapon, 
Decatur  tore  it  from  the  wound,  wrested  it  from  the  Turk,  and  made  a 
lunge  at  him,  which  he  avoided.  The  combatants  then  clinched  and  fell 
to  the  deck,  fiercely  struggling  for  life  and  death.  About  them  fought 
their  followers,  who  strove  to  aid  their  respective  commanders.  Suddenly 
a  Tripolitan  officer,  who  had  fought  his  way  to  a  place  above  the  heads  of 
the  two  officers,  aimed  a  blow  at  the  head  of  Decatur.  His  victim  was 
powerless  to  guard  himself.  One  American  sailor  only  was  at  hand.  This 
was  Reuben  James,  a  young  man  whose  desperate  fighting  had  already  cost 
him  wounds  in  both  arms,  so  that  he  could  not  lift  a  hand  to  save  his  com 
mander.  But,  though  thus  desperately  wounded,  James  had  yet  one  offering 
to  lay  before  his  captain, — his  life.  And  he  showed  himself  willing  to 
make  this  last  and  greatest  sacrifice,  by  thrusting  his  head  into  the  path 


206  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   '76. 

of  the  descending  scimetar,  and  taking  upon  his  own  skull  the  blow 
intended  for  Decatur.  The  hero  fell  bleeding  to  the  deck ;  a  pistol-shot 
from  an  American  ended  the  career  of  the  Turk,  and  Decatur  was  left  to 
struggle  with  his  adversary  upon  the  deck. 

But  by  this  time  the  great  strength  of  the  Turkish  captain  was  beginning 
to  tell  in  the  death-struggle.  His  right  arm  was  clasped  like  an  iron  band 
around  the  American  captain,  while  with  his  left  hand  he  drew  from  his 
belt  a  short  yataghan,  which  he  was  about  to  plunge  into  the  throat  of 
his  foe.  Decatur  lay  on  his  side,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  face  of  his 
foe.  He  saw  the  look  of  triumph  flash  in  the  eyes  of  the  Turk ;  he  saw 
the  gleaming  steel  of  the  yataghan  as  it  was  drawn  from  its  sheath. 
Mustering  all  his  strength,  he  writhed  in  the  grasp  of  his  burly  foe.  He 
wrested  his  left- arm  clear,  and  caught  the  Turk's  wrist  just  as  the  fatal 
blow  was  falling ;  then  with  his  right  hand  he  drew  fron  his  pocket  a  small 
pistol.  Pressing  this  tightly  against  the  back  of  his  enemy,  he  fired.  The 
ball  passed  through  the  body  of  the  Turk,  and  lodged  in  Decatur's  clothing. 
A  moment  later  the  Tripolitan's  hold  relaxed,  and  he  fell  back  dead  ; 
while  Decatur,  covered  with  his  own  blood  and  that  of  his  foe,  rose  to  his 
feet,  and  stood  amidst  the  pile  of  dead  and  wounded  men  that  had  gathered 
during  the  struggle  around  the  battling  chiefs. 

The  fall  of  their  captain  disheartened  the  Tripolitans,  and  they 
speedily  threw  down  their  arms.  The  prize  was  then  towed  out  of  the 
line  of  battle ;  and,  as  by  this  time  the  American  gunboats  were  drawing 
off,  Decatur  took  his  prizes  into  the  shelter  of  the  flag-ship. 

While  Decatur  had  been  thus  engaged,  the  gunboats  under  his 
command  had  not  been  idle.  Lieut.  Trippe,  in  command  of  No.  6,  had 
fought  a  hand-to-hand  battle  that  equalled  that  of  Decatur.  Trippe's 
plan  of  attack  had  been  the  same  as  that  of  his  leader.  Dashing  at  the 
enemy,  he  had  let  fly  a  round  of  grape  and  canister,  then  boarded  in 
the  smoke  and  confusion.  But  his  boat  struck  that  of  the  enemy  with 
such  force  as  to  recoil ;  and  Trippe,  who  had  sprung  into  the  enemy's 
rigging,  found  himself  left  with  but  nine  of  his  people,  to  confront  nearly 
two-score  Tripolitans.  The  Americans  formed  in  a  solid  phalanx,  and 
held  their  ground  bravely.  Again  the  two  commanders  singled  each 
other  out,  and  a  fierce  combat  ensued.  The  Turk  was  armed  with  a 
cutlass,  while  Trippe  fought  with  a  short  boarding-pike.  They  fought 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  207 


with  caution,  sparring  and  fencing,  until  each  had  received  several  slight 
wounds.  At  last  the  Tripolitan  struck  Trippe  a  crushing  blow  on  the 
head.  The  American  fell,  half  stunned,  upon  his  knees ;  and  at  this 
moment  a  second  Tripolitan  aimed  a  blow  at  him  from  behind,  but  was 
checked  and  killed  by  an  American  marine.  Rallying  all  his  strength, 
Trippe  made  a  fierce  thrust  at  his  adversary.  This  time  the  sharp  pike 
found  its  mark,  and  passed  through  the  body  of  the  Tripolitan  captain, 
who  fell  to  the  deck.  His  men,  seeing  him  fall,  abandoned  the  contest, 
and  the  Americans  were  soon  bearing  away  their  prize  in  triumph.  But 
in  the  excitement  of  victory  no  one  thought  to  haul  down  the  Tripolitan 
flag,  which  still  flaunted  defiant  at  the  end  of  the  long  lateen  mast.  So, 
when  the  prize  came  near  the  "  Vixen,"  the  American  man-of-war, 
mistaking  her  for  an  enemy,  let  fly  a  broadside,  that  brought  down 
flag,  mast  and  all.  Luckily  no  one  was  hurt,  and  the  broadside  was  not 
repeated. 

But  by  this  time  the  wind  had  veered  round  into  an  unfavorable 
quarter,  and  the  flag-ship  showed  a  signal  for  the  discontinuance  of  the 
action.  The  gunboats  and  their  prizes  were  taken  in  tow  by  the 
schooners  and  brigs,  and  towed  out  of  range  of  the  enemy's  shot, 
While  this  operation  was  going  on,  the  "Constitution"  kept  up  a  rapid 
fire  upon  the  shore  batteries,  and  not  until  the  last  of  the  smaller  craft 
was  out  of  range,  did  she  turn  to  leave  the  fray.  As  she  came  about, 
a  shot  came  in  one  of  her  stern-ports,  struck  a  gun  near  which  Commodore 
Preble  was  standing,  broke  to  pieces,  and  scattered  death  and  wounds  about. 

When  the  squadron  had  made  an  offing,  Preble  hoisted  a  signal  for 
the  commanders  to  come  aboard  the  flag-ship,  and  make  their  reports. 
He  was  sorely  disappointed  in  the  outcome  of  the  fray,  and  little 
inclined  to  recognize  the  conspicuous  instances  of  individual  gallantry 
shown  by  his  officers.  He  had  set  his  heart  upon  capturing  the  entire 
fleet  of  nine  Tripolitan  gunboats,  and  the  escape  of  six  of  them  had 
roused  his  naturally  irascible  disposition  to  fury.  As  he  stalked  his 
quarter-deck,  morose  and  silent,  Decatur  came  aboard.  The  young 
officer  still  wore  the  bloody,  smoke-begrimed  uniform  in  which  he  had 
grappled  with  the  Turk,  his  face  was  begrimed  with  powder,  his  hands 
and  breast  covered  with  blood.  As  he  walked  to  the  quarter-deck,  he 
was  the  centre  of  observation  pf  all  on  the  flagship.  Stepping  up  to  the 
commodore,  he  said  quietly,  — 


208  BLUE-JACKETS  OF  '76. 

"Well,  commodore,  I  have  brought  you  out  three  of  the  gunboats." 

Preble  turned  upon  him  fiercely,  seized  him  with  both  hands  by  the 
collar,  and  shaking  him  like  a  schoolboy,  snarled  out, — 

"Ay,  sir,  why  did  you  not  bring  me  more  ? " 

The  blood  rushed  to  Decatur's  face.  The  insult  was  more  than  he 
could  bear.  His  hand  sought  his  dagger,  but  the  commodore  had  left 
the  quarter-deck.  Turning  on  his  heel,  the  outraged  officer  walked  to 
the  side,  and  called  his  boat,  determined  to  leave  the  ship  at  once. 
But  the  officers  crowded  about  him,  begging  him  to  be  calm,  and 
reminding  him  of  the  notoriously  quick  temper  of  the  commodore.  While 
they  talked,  there  came  a  cabin  steward  with  a  message.  "  The  commodore 
wishes  to  see  Capt.  Decatur  below."  Decatur  hesitated  a  moment,  then 
obeyed.  Some  time  passed,  but  he  did  not  re-appear  on  deck.  The 
officers  became  anxious,  and  at  last,  upon  some  pretext,  one  sought  the 
commodore's  cabin.  There  he  found  Preble  and  Decatur,  sitting  together, 
friendly,  but  both  silent,  and  in  tears.  The  apology  had  been  made  and 
accepted. 

There  is  one  humble  actor  in  the  first  attack  upon  Tripoli,  whom  we 
cannot  abandon  without  a  word.  This  is  Reuben  James.  That  heroic 
young  sailor  quickly  recovered  from  the  bad  wound  he  received  when  he 
interposed  his  own  head  to  save  his  commander's  life.  One  day  Decatur 
called  him  aft,  and  publicly  asked  him  what  could  be  done  to  reward  him 
for  his  unselfish  heroism.  The  sailor  was  embarrassed  and  nonplussed. 
He  rolled  his  quid  of  tobacco  in  his  mouth,  and  scratched  his  head,  without 
replying.  His  shipmates  were  eager  with  advice.  "  Double  pay,  Jack : 
the  old  man  will  refuse  you  nothing  ;"  "a  boatswain's  berth;"  "a  pocket- 
full  of  money  and  shore  leave,"  were  among  the  suggestions.  But  James 
put  them  aside.  He  had  decided. 

"If  you  please,  sir,"  said  he,  "let  somebody  else  hand  out  the  hammocks 
to  the  men  when  they  are  piped  down.  That  is  a  sort  of  business  that 
I  don't  exactly  like." 

The  boon  was  granted  ;  and  ever  afterwards,  when  the  crew  was  piped 
to  stow  away  hammocks,  Reuben  James  sauntered  about  the  decks  with 
his  hands  in  his  pockets,  the  very  personification  of  elegant  leisure. 

For  modesty,  the  request  of  the  preserver  of  Decatur  is  only  equalled 
by  that  of  the  sailor  who  decided  the  battle  between  the  "  Bonne  Homme 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  209 

Richard"  and  the  "Serapis."  He  had  stationed  himself  on  the  yard-arm, 
and  was  dropping  hand-grenades  upon  the  deck  of  the  "  Serapis."  At 
lasr  a  well-aimed  grenade  set  fire  to  some  powder  on  the  enemy's  ship, 
and  virtually  decided  the  day  in  favor  of  the  Americans.  When  asked 
by  Paul  Jones  what  he  would  have  as  a  reward  for  this  great  service, 
he  suggested  double  rations  of  grog  for  the  next  week  as  the  proper 
recompense.  This  he  got,  and  no  more. 

But  to  return  to  the  American  fleet  before  Tripoli.  Four  days  were 
spent  in  repairing  damages,  and  on  the  7th  of  August  a  second  attack 
was  made  upon  the  town.  The  disposition  of  the  American  forces  was 
much  the  same  as  on  the  occasion  of  the  first  attack,  although  the 
Americans  were  re-enforced  by  the  three  captured  gunboats.  The  fighting 
was  confined  to  long-range  cannonading  ;  for  the  enemy  had  been  taught 
a  lesson,  and  was  afraid  to  try  conclusions  hand  to  hand  with  the 
Americans.  About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  tremendous  explosion 
drew  the  gaze  of  every  one  to  the  spot  where  gunboat  No.  8  had  been 
anchored.  At  first  only  a  dense  mass  of  smoke,  with  the  water  surrounding 
it  littered  with  wreckage,  was  to  be  seen.  When  the  smoke  cleared  away, 
the  extent  of  the  disaster  was  evident.  The  gunboat  had  blown  up.  Her 
bow  alone  remained  above  water,  and  there  a  handful  of  plucky  men  were 
loading  the  great  twenty-six-pound  cannon  that  formed  her  armament. 
Lieut.  Spence  commanded  the  gunners,  and  urged  them  on. 

"Now,  lads,  be  lively,"  he  cried.  "Let's  get  one  shot  at  the  Turks 
before  we  sink." 

Every  ship  in  the  squadron  was  cheering  the  devoted  crew  of  No.  8. 
From  every  vessel  anxious  eyes  watched  the  men  who  thus  risked  their 
lives  for  one  shot.  The  water  was  rushing  into  the  shattered  hulk;  and 
just  as  Spence  pulled  the  lanyard,  and  sent  a  cast-iron  shot  into  Tripoli, 
the  wreck  gave  a  lurch,  and  went  down.  Her  crew  was  left  struggling 
in  the  water.  Spence,  who  could  not  swim,  saved  himself  by  clinging  to 
an  oar,  while  his  men  struck  out  for  the  nearer  vessels,  and  were  soo'fl 
receiving  the  congratulations  of  their  comrades. 

In  this  attack,  Richard  Somers,  a  most  courageous  and  capable  officer, 
who  a  few  weeks  later  met  a  tragic  end,  narrowly  escaped  death.  He 
was  in  command  of  gunboat  No.  i,  and  while  directing  the  attack  stood 
leaning  against  her  flagstaff.  He  saw  a  shot  flying  in  his  direction. 


210  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

Involuntarily  he  ducked  his  head,  and  the  next  instant  the  flying  shot 
cut  away  the  flagstaff  just  above  him.  When  the  action  was  over, 
Lieut.  Somers  stood  by  the  pole,  and  found  that  the  shot  had  cut  it  at 
the  exact  height  of  his  chin. 

After  firing  for  about  three  hours,  the  American  squadron  drew  off. 
Little  had  been  accomplished,  for  the  stone  walls  and  fortresses  of  Tripoli 
were  not  to  be  damaged  very  greatly  by  marine  artillery.  The  Americans 
themselves  had  suffered  seriously.  Their  killed  and  wounded  amounted 
to  eighteen  men.  They  had  lost  one  gunboat  by  an  explosion,  and  all  the 
vessels  had  suffered  somewhat  from  the  Tripolitan  fire. 

That  night  the  Americans  were  gladdened  by  the  arrival  of  the  frigate 
"John  Adams,"  bringing  letters  and  news  from  home.  She  brought  also 
the  information  that  re-enforcements  were  coming.  Accordingly  Preble 
determined  to  defer  any  further  attack  upon  Tripoli  until  the  arrival  of 
the  expected  vessels.  In  the  mean  time  he  had  several  interviews  with  the 
Bashaw  upon  the  subject  of  peace ;  but,  as  the  Turk  would  not  relinquish 
his  claim  of  five  hundred  dollars  ransom  for  each  captive  in  his  hands,  no 
settlement  was  reached. 

While  waiting  for  the  re-enforcements,  Preble  continued  his  preparations 
for  another  attack.  The  ships  were  put  into  fighting  trim,  munition  hauled 
over,  and  repeated  and  thorough  reconnoissances  of  the  enemy's  works 
made.  It  was  while  on  the  latter  duty,  that  the  brig  "  Argus  "  narrowly 
escaped  destruction.  With  Preble  on  board,  she  stood  into  the  harbor,  and 
was  just  coming  about  before  one  of  the  batteries,  when  a  heavy  shot 
raked  her  bottom,  cutting  several  planks  half  through.  Had  the  shot 
been  an  inch  higher,  it  would  have  sunk  the  brig. 

By  the  24th  of  August,  Preble's  patience  was  exhausted  ;  and,  without 
waiting  longer  for  the  expected  squadron,  he  began  an  attack  upon  the 
town.  On  the  night  of  the  24th,  a  few  shells  were  thrown  into  Tripoli, 
but  -ltj.  little  damage.  Four  days  later,  a  more  determined  attack  was 
aade,  in  which  every  vessel  in  the  squadron  took  part.  Two  of  the 
enemy's  gunboats  were  sunk ;  but  with  this  exception  little  material  damage 
was  done,  though  the  Americans  chose  the  most  advantageous  positions, 
and  fired  fast  and  well.  It  was  becoming  evident  that  men-of-war  were 
no  match  for  stone  walls. 

During  this   engagement,   the   American   fleet   came   within   range   of 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  21 1 

the  Bashaw's  palace,  and  the  flying  shot  and  shell  drove  that  dignitary 
and  his  suite  to  a  bomb-proof  dungeon.  One  heavy  shot  flew  in  at  the 
window  of  the  cell  in  which  Capt.  Bainbridge  was  confined,  and  striking 
the  wall,  brought  down  stones  and  mortar  upon  him  as  he  lay  in  bed, 
so  that  he  was  seriously  bruised.  But  the  American  captain  was  in  no 
way  daunted,  and  the  next  day  wrote  in  sympathetic  ink  to  Preble, 
telling  him  to  keep  up  his  fire,  for  the  Tripolitans  were  greatly  harassed 
by  it. 

On  Sept.  3,  yet  another  attack  upon  the  town  and  fortress  was 
made.  As  in  the  foregoing  instances,  nothing  was  accomplished  except 
the  throwing  of  a  vast  quantity  of  shot  and  shell.  Capt.  Bainbridge,  in  a 
secret  letter  to  Preble,  reported,  that  of  the  shells  he  had  seen  falling 
in  the  city  very  few  exploded,  and  the  damage  done  by  them  was  therefore 
very  light.  Preble  investigated  the  matter,  and  found  that  the  fuse-holes 
of  many  of  the  shells  had  been  stopped  with  lead,  so  that  no  fire  could 
enter.  The  shells  had  been  bought  in  Sicily,  where  they  had  been  made 
to  resist  a  threatened  invasion  by  the  French.  It  is  supposed  that  the^ 
had  been  thus  ruined  by  French  secret  agents. 

But,  before  this  time,  Commodore  Preble,  and  the  officers  under  his 
command,  had  about  reached  the  conclusion  that  Tripoli  could  not  be 
reduced  by  bombardment.  Accordingly  they  cast  about  for  some  new 
method  of  attack.  The  plan  that  was  finally  adopted  proved  unfortunate 
in  this  instance,  just  as  similar  schemes  for  the  reduction  of  fortresses  have 
prove  futile  throughout  all  history.  Briefly  stated,  the  plan  was  to  send 
a  fire-ship,  or  rather  a  floating  mine,  into  the  harbor,  to  explode  before  the 
walls  of  the  fortress,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  enemy's  cruisers. 

The  ketch  "  Intrepid,"  which  had  carried  Decatur  and  his  daring 
followers  out  of  the  harbor  of  Tripoli,  leaving  the  "  Philadelphia  "  burning 
behind  them,  was  still  with  the  fleet.  This  vessel  was  chosen,  and  with 
all  possible  speed  was  converted  into  an  " infernal,"  or  floating  mine.  "A 
small  room,  or  magazine,  had  been  planked  up  in  the  hold  of  the  ketch, 
just  forward  of  her  principal  mast,"  writes  Fenimore  Cooper.  "  Communi 
cating  with  this  magazine  was  a  trunk,  or  tube,  that  led  aft  to  another  room 
filled  with  combustibles.  In  the  planked  room,  or  magazine,  were  placed 
one  hundred  barrels  of  gunpowder  in  bulk ;  and  on  the  deck,  immediately 
above  the  powder,  were  laid  fifty  thirteen-and-a-half-inch  shells,  and  one 


212  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

hundred  nine-inch  shells,  with  a  large  quantity  of  shot,  pieces  of  kentledge, 
and  fragments  of  iron  of  different  sorts.  A  train  was  laid  in  the  trunk,  or 
tube,  and  fuses  were  attached  in  the  proper  manner.  In  addition  to  this 
arrangement,  the  other  small  room  mentioned  was  filled  with  splinters  and 
light  wood,  which,  besides  firing  the  train,  were  to  keep  the  enemy  from 
boarding,  as  the  flames  would  be  apt  to  induce  them  to  apprehend  an 
immediate  explosion." 

Such  was  the  engine  of  death  prepared.  The  plan  of  operations  was 
simply  to  put  a  picked  crew  on  this  floating  volcano,  choose  a  dark  night, 
take  the  " infernal"  into  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  squadron,  fire  it,  and  let 
the  crew  escape  in  boats  as  best  they  might. 

The  leadership  of  this  desperate  enterprise  was  intrusted  to  Lieut. 
Richard  Somers.  Indeed,  it  is  probable  that  the  idea  itself  originated  with 
him,  for  a  commanding  officer  would  be  little  likely  to  assign  a  subordinate 
a  duty  so  hazardous.  Moreover,  there  existed  between  Decatur  and  Somers 
a  generous  rivalry.  Each  strove  to  surpass  the  other;  and  since  Decatur's 
exploit  with  the  "  Philadelphia,"  Somers  had  been  seeking  an  opportunity 
to  win  equal  distinction.  It  is  generally  believed,  that,  having  conceived 
the  idea  of  the  "infernal,"  he  suggested  it  to  Preble,  and  claimed  for 
himself  the  right  of  leadership. 

But  ten  men  and  one  officer  were  to  accompany  Mr.  Somers  on  his 
perilous  trip.  Yet  volunteers  were  numerous,  and  only  by  the  most 
inflexible  decision  could  the  importunate  ones  be  kept  back.  The  officer 
chosen  was  Lieut.  Wadsworth  of  the  "  Constitution,"  and  the  men  were 
chosen  from  that  ship  and  from  the  "Nautilus." 

As  the  time  for  carrying  out  the  desperate  enterprise  drew  near,  Preble 
pointed  out  to  the  young  commander  the  great  danger  of  the  affair,  and 
the  responsibility  that  rested  upon  him.  Particularly  was  he  enjoined  not 
to  permit  the  powder  in  the  ketch  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Tripolitans, 
who  at  that  time  were  short  of  ammunition.  One  day,  while  talking  with 
Somers,  Preble  burned  a  port-fire,  or  slow-match,  and,  noting  its  time, 
asked  Somers  if  he  thought  the  boats  could  get  out  of  reach  of  the  shells 
in  the  few  minutes  it  was  burning. 

"  I  think  we  can,  sir,"  was  the  quiet  response. 

Something  in  the  speaker's  tone  aroused  Preble's  interest,  and  he 
said,  — 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  2I3 

"  Would  you  like  the  port-fire  shorter  still  ? " 

"I  ask  no  port-fire  at  all,"  was  the  quiet  reply. 

At  last  the  day  of  the  adventure  was  at  hand.  It  was  Sept.  4,  the  day 
following  the  last  attack  upon  Tripoli.  The  sky  was  overcast  and  lowering, 
and  gave  promise  of  a  dark  night.  Fully  convinced  that  the  time  for 
action  was  at  hand,  Somers  called  together  the  handful  of  brave  fellows 
who  were  to  follow  him,  and  briefly  addressed  them.  He  told  them  he 
wished  no  man  to  go  with  him  who  did  not  prefer  being  blown  up  to 
being  captured.  For  his  part,  he  would  much  prefer  such  a  fate,  and  he 
wished  his  followers  to  agree  with  him.  For  answer  the  brave  fellows 
gave  three  cheers,  and  crowded  round  him,  each  asking  to  be  selected 
to  apply  the  match.  Somers  then  passed  among  the  officers  and  crew 
of  the  "  Nautilus,"  shaking  hands,  and  bidding  each  farewell.  There 
were  few  dry  eyes  in  the  ship  that  afternoon;  for  all  lo^d  their  young 
commander,  and  all  knew  how  desperate  was  the  enterprise  in  which  he 
had  embarked. 

It  was  after  dusk  when  the  devoted  adventurers  boarded  the  powdei 
laden  ketch,  as  she  lay  tossing  at  her  anchorage.  Shortly  after  they  had 
taken  possession,  a  boat  came  alongside  with  Decatur  and  Lieut.  Stewart 
in  the  stern-sheets.  The  officers  greeted  their  comrades  with  some 
emotion.  They  were  all  about  of  an  age,  followed  one  loved  profession, 
and  each  had  given  proofs  of  his  daring.  When  the  time  came  for  them 
to  part,  the  leave-taking  was  serious,  but  tranquil.  Somers  took  from 
his  finger  a  ring,  and  breaking  it  into  four  pieces,  gave  one  to  each  of  his 
friends.  Then  with  hearty  handshakings,  and  good  wishes  for  success, 
Decatur  and  Stewart  left  their  friends. 

On  the  ketch  was  one  man  who  had  not  been  accepted  as  a  volunteer. 
This  was  Lieut.  Israel  of  the  "  Constitution,"  who  had  smuggled  himself 
aboard.  With  this  addition  to  his  original  force,  Somers  ordered  sail  made, 
and  the  "  Intrepid  "  turned  her  prow  in  the  direction  of  the  Tripolitan 
batteries. 

As  far  as  the  harbor's  mouth,  she  was  accompanied  by  the  "  Argus," 
the  "Vixen,"  and  the  "Nautilus."  There  they  left  her,  and  she  pursued 
her  way  alone.  It  was  a  calm,  foggy  night.  A  few  stars  could  be  seen 
glimmering  through  the  haze,  and  a  light  breeze  ruffled  the  water,  and 
wafted  the  sloop  gently  along  her  course.  From  the  three  vessels  that 
waited  outside  the  harbor's  mouth,  eager  watchers  with  night-glasses  kept 


214  BWE-JACKETS   OF   '76. 

their  gaze  riveted  upon  the  spectral  form  of  the  ketch,  as  she  slowly 
receded  from  their  sight.  Fainter  and  fainter  grew  the  outline  of  her 
sails,  until  at  last  they  were  lost  to  sight  altogether.  Then  fitful  flashes 
from  the  enemy's  batteries,  and  the  harsh  thunder  of  the  cannon,  told 
that  she  had  been  sighted  by  the  foe.  The  anxious  watchers  paced  their 
decks  with  bated  breath.  Though  no  enemy  was  near  to  hear  them,  they 
spoke  in  whispers.  The  shadow  of  a  great  awe,  the  weight  of  some  great 
calamity,  seemed  crushing  them, 

"What  was  that?" 

All  started  at  the  abrupt  exclamation.  Through  the  haze  a  glimmering 
light  had  been  seen  to  move  rapidly  along  the  surface  of  the  water,  as 
though  a  lantern  were  being  carried  along  a  deck.  Suddenly  it  disappeared, 
as  though  dropped  down  a  hatchway.  A  few  seconds  passed,  —  seconds 
that  seemed  like  hours.  Then  there  shot  up  into  the  sky  a  dazzling  jet 
of  fire.  A  roar  like  that  of  a  huge  volcano  shook  earth  and  sea.  The 
vessels  trembled  at  their  moorings.  The  concussion  of  the  air  threw  men 
upon  the  decks.  Then  the  mast  of  the  ketch,  with  its  sail  blazing,  was 
seen  to  rise  straight  into  the  air,  and  fall  back.  Bombs  with  burning 
fuses  flew  in  every  direction.  The  distant  sound  of  heavy  bodies  falling 
into  the  water  and  on  the  rocks  was  heard.  Then  all  was  still.  Even 
the  Tripolitan  batteries  were  silent. 

For  a  moment  a  great  sorrow  fell  upon  the  Americans.  Then  came 
the  thought  that  Somers  and  his  brave  men  might  have  left  the 
ketch  before  the  explosion.  All  listened  for  approaching  oars.  Minutes 
lengthened  into  hours,  and  still  no  sound  was  heard.  Men  hung  from 
the  sides  of  the  vessels,  with  their  ears  to  the  water,  in  the  hopes  of 
catching  the  sound  of  the  coming  boats.  But  all  was  in  vain.  Day  broke  ; 
the  shattered  wreck  of  the  "  Intrepid  "  could  be  seen  within  the  harbor, 
and  near  it  two  injured  Tripolitan  gunboats.  But  of  Somers  and  his 
brave  followers  no  trace  could  be  seen,  nor  were  they  ever  again  beheld 
by  their  companions. 

To  Capt.  Bainbridge  in  his  prison-cell  came  a  Tripolitan  officer,  several 
days  later,  asking  him  to  go  to  a  point  of  rocks,  and  view  some  bodies 
thrown  there  by  the  waves.  Thither  Bainbridge  went,  and  was  shown 
several  bodies  shockingly  mutilated  and  burned.  Though  they  were 
doubtless  the  remains  of  some  of  the  gallant  adventurers,  they  could 
not  be  identified. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   '76.  215 

The  exact  reason  for  this  disaster  can  never  be  known.  Many  have 
thought  that  Somers  saw  capture  inevitable,  and  with  his  own  hand  fired 
the  fatal  charge ;  others  believed  the  explosion  to  be  purely  accidental ; 
while  the  last  and  most  plausible  theory  is,  that  a  shot  from  the  enemy's 
batteries  penetrated  the  magazine,  and  ended  the  career  of  the  "  Intrepid  " 
and  her  gallant  crew.  But  however  vexed  the  controversy  over  the  cause 
of  the  explosion,  there  has  been  no  denial  of  the  gallantry  of  its  victims. 
The  names  of  all  are  honored  in  naval  annals,  while  that  of  Somers 
became  a  battle-cry,  and  has  been  borne  by  some  of  the  most  dashing 
vessels  of  the  United  States  navy. 

It  may  be  said  that  this  episode  terminated  the  war  with  Tripoli. 
Thereafter  it  was  but  a  series  of  blockades  and  diplomatic  negotiations. 
Commodore  Barren  relieved  Preble,  and  maintained  the  blockade,  without 
any  offensive  operations,  until  peace  was  signed  in  June,  1805.  The 
conditions  of  that  peace  cannot  be  too  harshly  criticised.  By  it  the 
United  States  paid  sixty  thousand  dollars  for  American  prisoners  in 
the  hands  of  the  Bashaw,  thus  yielding  to  demands  for  ransom  which 
no  civilized  nation  should  for  a  moment  have  considered.  The  concession 
was  all  the  more  unnecessary,  because  a  native  force  of  insurrectionists, 
re-enforced  by  a  few  Americans,  was  marching  upon  Tripoli  from  the  rear, 
and  would  have  soon  brought  the  Bashaw  to  terms.  But  it  was  not  the 
part  of  the  navy  to  negotiate  the  treaty.  That  rested  with  the  civilians. 
The  duty  of  the  blue-jackets  had  been  to  fight  for  their  country's  honor  ; 
and  that  they  had  discharged  this  duty  well,  no  reader  of  these  pages 
can  deny. 


PART   II 
BLUE  JACKETS  OF  1812 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  GATHERING  OF  THE  WAR-CLOUD. -THE  REVOLUTION  ENDED,  BUT  THE  WAR  FOR 
INDEPENDENCE  YET  UNFOUGHT.- OUTRAGES  UPON  AMERICAN  SAILORS.  — THE  RIGHT 
OF  SEARCH.  — IMPRESSMENT.  — BOYHOOD  OF  COMMODORE  PORTER.  — EARLY  DAYS  OF 
COMMODORES  PERRY  AND  BARNEY.  —  BURNING  A  PRIVATEER.  -  THE  EMBARGO.— 
WAR  INEVITABLE. 

N  a  bright  November  afternoon  in  the  year  1783,  the  streets 
of  New  York  City,  bordering  on  the  bay,  were  crowded  with 
excited  people,  pushing  and  elbowing  each  other  rudely,  and  all 
pressing  down  to  the  water-side,  where  was  collected  a  huge 
crowd,  looking  anxiously  across  the  Droad  waters  of  the  noble  bay,  to  a 
spot  where  lay  anchored  a  large  squadron  of  ships,  The  taut  cordage, 

219 


220  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

the  trimly  squared  yards,  and  the  rows  of  cannon  protruding  from  the 
open  ports  made  it  evident  to  the  veriest  landsman  that  many  of  the  ships 
were  men-of-war ;  while  the  scarlet  flags  crossed  by  the  emblem  of  St. 
George,  flaunting  from  the  peak  of  every  vessel,  declared  the  allegiance  of 
the  fleet  to  the  monarch  of  Great  Britain,  against  whose  rule  the  hardy 
Colonists  had  been  for  years  waging  a  warfare,  now  to  end  in  victory. 
Between  the  ships  and  the  landing-place  of  old  Fort  George,  that  then 
stood  where  now  extends  the  green  sward  of  the  Battery  park,  a  fleet 
of  long-boats  was  actively  plying ;  the  long,  swinging  strokes  of  the 
blue-clad  sailors  stamping  them  as  men-o'-war's  men  beyond  doubt.  The 
landing-place  was  thronged  with  troops,  whose  glistening  muskets,  scarlet 
coats,  gold  trimmings,  and  waving  plumes  contrasted  beautifully  with  the 
bright  blue  jackets  of  the  sailors,  as  file  after  file  of  the  soldiers  boarded 
the  boats,  and  were  rowed  away  to  the  waiting  ships.  The  troops  drawn 
up  on  the  shore  formed  long  lines  of  scarlet  against  the  green  back 
ground  of  the  bastions  of  Fort  George.  The  men  standing  at  rest  talked 
loudly  to  each  other  of  the  coming  voyage,  and  now  and  again  shouted 
fiercely  at  some  soberly  clad  citizen  who  strolled  too  near  the  warlike  ranks  ; 
for  had  not  all  the  sturdy  citizens  of  New  York  come  down  to  see  the 
hated  British  evacuate  the  city,  forced  out  by  the  troops  of  Gen.  Wash 
ington  (plain  Mr.  Washington,  the  British  liked  to  call  him)  ?  The  ragged 
gamins  scurried  here  and  there,  yelling  ribald  jests  at  the  departing 
soldiers ;  and  the  scarlet-coated  troopers  had  hard  work  keeping  down 
their  rising  anger,  as  suggestive  cries  of  "boiled  lobsters"  rose  on  every 
side.  Even  the  staid  citizens  could  hardly  conceal  their  exultation,  as 
they  thought  that  with  those  soldiers  departed  forever  the  rule  of  Great 
Britain  over  the  Colonies.  It  was  a  quaint-looking  crowd  that  had  gathered 
that  day,  at  the  end  of  the  little  town.  The  sturdy  mechanics  and  laborers, 
who  were  most  numerous,  were  dressed  in  tight  leather  or  yellow  buck 
skin  breeches,  checked  shirts,  and  flaming  red  flannel  jackets.  Their  heads 
were  covered  with  rusty  felt  hats,  cocked  up  at  the  sides  into  a  triangular 
shape,  and  decorated  with  feathers  or  bright  buckles.  On  their  feet  were 
heavy  leathern  shoes,  fastened  with  huge  brass  buckles  that  covered  the 
entire  instep.  Here  and  there  in  the  crowd  stood  a  prosperous  merchant 
or  man  of  fashion,  whose  garb,  if  less  rough  than  that  of  his  humbler 
fellow-citizen,  was  no  less  odd  and  picturesque.  At  first  sight,  an  observer 
might  think  that  all  the  men  of  New  York  were  white-haired  ;  but  a 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


221 


closer  examination  would  show  that  the  natural  color  of  the  hair  was  hid 
by  dense  layers  of  white  powder.  The  hair  was  done  up  in  a  short  cue 
tied  by  black  ribbons,  and  on  top  of  all  rested  a  three-cornered  cocked 
hat,  heavily  laced  with  gold  or  silver  braid.  The  coat  was  light-colored, 
with  a  profusion  of  silver  buttons,  stamped  with  the  wearer's  monogram, 


DERELICT. 


decorating  the  front.  Over  the  shoulders  hung  a  short  cape.  The  knee- 
breeches,  marvellously  tight,  ended  at  the  tops  of  gaudy  striped  stockings, 
which  in  turn  disappeared  in  the  recesses  of  pointed  shoes  adorned  with 
gleaming  buckles.  The  broad  cuffs  of  the  coat -sleeves  were  heavily  lader 
with  lead,  to  keep  them  in  proper  position. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

Such  were  the  characteristics  of  the  crowd  that  had  assembled  that 
day  to  witness  the  closing  scene  of  British  domination  in  America.  Even 
as  they  stood  there,  they  heard,  faintly  rising  on  the  autumnal  air,  the 
sound  of  the  fife  and  drum,  as  the  American  troops  came  marching  down 
into  the  city,  from  their  camp  at  the  upper  end  of  the  island.  And,  as 
the  last  boat-load  of  grenadiers  pushes  off  from  the  shore,  the  crowd,  no 
longer  restrained  by  the  glittering  bayonets,  rushes  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  hurls  taunts  and  gibes  after  the  retreating  boats,  until  the 
grizzled  old  soldiers  curse  the  "Yankee  rebels"  fiercely,  under  their  mus 
taches,  and  beg  the  officers  to  give  them  a  volley. 

Now  the  advance  guard  of  the  little  American  army,  with  fifes  shrill 
ing  out  the  notes  of  "  Yankee  Doodle,"  comes  marching  down  to  the 
fort.  No  gay  trappings,  scarlet  or  gold  lace  about  these  soldiers,  but 
ragged  suits  of  homespun  and  homely  flint-lock  muskets,  whose  barrels 
are  better  burnished  within  than  without.  They  march  quickly  to  the 
water-front,  and  halt.  The  captain  looks  at  the  British  squadron,  now 
getting  under  way,  and  then,  with  true  soldierly  instinct,  flashes  a  glance 
to  the  top  of  the  flag-staff  in  the  centre  of  the  fort.  His  brow  contracts, 
he  stamps  his  foot,  and  the  soldiers  and  citizens  who  have  followed  his 
glance  break  out  into  a  cry  of  rage  that  rings  far  out  over  the  placid  waters 
of  the  bay,  and  makes  the  tough  old  British  veterans  chuckle  grimly  over 
the  success  of  their  little  joke  upon  the  Yankees ;  for  there,  high  above  the 
heads  of  the  wrathful  crowd,  flaunting  its  scarlet  folds  over  the  roofs  of 
the  liberated  city,  floats  proudly  the  BRITISH  FLAG. 

"  Tear  it  down ! "  The  cry  rises  hoarsely  from  a  thousand  throats ; 
and  the  Colonial  officer  springs  with  glittering  sword  to  cut  the  halliards, 
but  finds  them  cut  away  already,  and  the  flag  nailed  to  the  mast.  .Then  a 
trim  sailor-boy  works  his  way  through  the  crowd,  and,  grasping  the  pole 
firmly,  attempts  to  climb  up,  but  soon  slides  down  ingloriously  over  the 
greasy  surface,  freshly  slushed  by  the  British  before  their  departure.  The 
crowd  yells  in  wrathful  impotence  ;  and  a  few  hot-headed  youths  spring 
forward,  axe  in  hand,  to  bring  down  pole  and  all  t~  the  earth.  But  the 
firm  hand  of  the  commanding  officer  restrains  them.  He  whispers  a  few 
words  into  their  ears ;  and  they  start  briskly  away,  followed  by  a  dozen  or 
two  of  the  steadily  growing  crowd. 

"Gen.  Washington  will  be  here  soon,"  says  the  captain;  "we  must 
get  that  rag  down  at  once." 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 


223 


In  a  few  minutes  the  messengers  return.  They  have  been  to  a  neigh 
boring  hardware  store,  and  startled  the  gray-haired  old  merchant  so  that 
he  stared  vaguely  at  them  through  his  spectacles,  as  they  fiercely  demanded 
hammers,  nails,  and  wooden  cleats.  Loaded  with  these,  they  dash  back 


CUTTING  AWAY  THE   FLAG. 

to  the  scene  of  action ;  and  again  the  sailor-boy  becomes  the  hero  of  the 
moment.  With  his  pockets  filled  with  cleats,  and  his  mouth  stuffed  with 
nails,  he  begins  again  his  ascent  of  the  slippery  staff.  He  nails  cleat 
after  cleat  upon  the  pole,  and  step  by  step  mounts  toward  the  top.  At 
last  he  reaches  the  flag;  and,  with  a  few  quick  jerks,  it  is  torn  from  the 


224  BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 

pole,  and  thrown  contemptuously  out  into  the  air,  to  float  down  upon 
the  crowd,  and  be  torn  to  pieces  by  curiosity  seekers.  Then  the  halliards 
are  lowered,  and  soon  the  flag  of  the  young  and  struggling  nation  floats 
in  the  cool  breeze ;  while  from  the  neighboring  heights  the  cannon  of 
the  forts  speak  in  deep-mouthed  salvos  of  applause,  that  mingle  with  the 
rejoicings  of  the  people,  and  do  not  cease  until  the  ships  of  the  enemy 
have  passed  through  the  Narrows,  and  are  out  of  sight  and  hearing.  The 
British  had  evacuated  New  York,  and  America  had  won  her  independence. 

Not  many  years,  however,  had  passed  after  this  memorable  event,  when 
the  citizens  not  only  of  New  York,  but  the  people  of  all  the  United 
States,  began  to  find  out  that  America  had  not  won  her  true  indepen 
dence,  but  merely  a  slight  relief  from  the  oppressions  of  Great  Britain. 
Already  the  nations  of  Europe  were  beginning  to  encroach  upon  the  rights 
and  liberties  of  the  infant  nation.  For  this  the  States  were  themselves 
greatly  to  blame.  Nobly  as  they  had  fought  in  unison  to  throw  off  the 
yoke  of  Great  Britain,  they  fell  into  strife  among  themselves  as  soon  as 
the  war  was  at  an  end,  and  by  their  quarrels  and  bickerings  led  all  the 
European  nations  to  believe  that  the  contentious  Colonies,  like  the  Kil 
kenny  cats,  would  end  by  destroying  each  other.  Such  a  nation  could 
command  little  respect,  and  the  stronger  powers  were  not  slow  to  show 
their  contempt  for  the  United  States.  American  vessels,  coming  back  to 
port,  would  report  that  a  British  ship-cf-war  had  halted  them  in  mid-ocean, 
and  seized  American  sailors  as  suspected  British  deserters.  Other  Ameri 
can  ships,  sailing  full  of  hope  from  American  ports,  would  never  re-appear, 
and  their  fate  would  be  a  mystery,  until,  after  many  months,  some  sailor 
wandering  home  told  of  his  ship's  capture  by  a  French  privateer  or  Tri- 
politan  war  vessel.  For  years  a  debasing  tribute  was  paid  to  the  Bashaw  of 
Tripoli,  upon  condition  of  his  granting  to  American  ships  the  privileges 
of  the  sea,  that  are  the  undoubted  rights  of  every  nation;  yet  even  this 
compact  was  more  often  ignored  than  observed.  Small  wonder  was  it 
that  the  sage  old  statesman,  Benjamin  Franklin,  on  hearing  a  young  man 
speak  of  the  "  glorious  war  for  independence,"  responded  gravely,  "  Say 
rather  the  war  of  the  revolution :  the  war  for  independence  is  yet  to  be 
fought." 

In  the  year  1789,  the  States,  after  much  debate  and  bickering,  finally 
ratified  the  document  known  as  the  Constitution  of  the  United   States, 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  225 


While  the  work  of  the  American  Revolution  was  thus  being  completed, 
and  a  new  nation  was  being  formed,  events  were  transpiring  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic  that  were  destined  to  affect  gravely  the  growth  of  the 
new  nation.  The  oppressed  peasantry  and  laborers  of  France,  smarting 
under  the  wrongs  of  centuries,  rose  in  a  mighty  wave,  and  swept  away 
the  nobles,  their  masters.  The  royal  head  of  King  Louis  fell  a  prey  to  the 
remorseless  spirit  of  the  guillotine,  and  the  reign  of  terror  in  Paris  began. 
Soon  the  roll  of  the  drum  was  heard  in  every  European  city,  and  the 
armies  of  every  nation  were  on  the  march  for  France.  England  was 
foremost  in  the  fray;  and  the  people  of  the  United  States,  seeing  their 
old  enemy  at  war  with  the  country  of  Lafayette,  fired  by  generous  enthu 
siasm,  were  ready  to  rush  to  the  aid  of  their  old  ally.  But  the  wise 
prudence  of  their  rulers  restrained  them;  and  for  the  next  twenty  years 
the  United  States  were  neutrals,  while  all  the  nations  of  Europe  were 
plunged  in  war. 

The  first  effect  of  this  condition  of  affairs  was  most  beneficial.  As 
neutrals,  the  ships  of  the  United  States  could  trade  with  all  the  battling 
peoples ;  while  any  vessel  flying  a  European  flag  was  sure  to  find  an 
enemy  somewhere  on  the  broad  seas,  and  suffer  confiscation.  While 
France  was  giving  her  farmers  and  mechanics  to  follow  in  the  glorious 
footsteps  of  Napoleon,  the  industrious  citizens  of  the  United  States  were 
reaping  a  rich  reward  in  trade  with  the  warring  nation.  The  farmers 
received  the  highest  prices  for  their  grain,  the  ingenious  mechanics  of 
New  England  reaped  fortunes  from  the  sale  of  their  wares,  and  the  ship 
yards  were  filled  to  their  greatest  capacity  with  the  graceful  frames  of 
fast  clipper  vessels  destined  for  the  trade  with  Europe.  In  1780  the 
shipping  of  the  United  States  was  confined  to  a  few  coasting-vessels,  and 
the  American  flag  was  seldom  seen  beyond  the  Atlantic.  Fifteen  years 
later,  the  white  sails  of  American  ships  dotted  every  sea,  and  but  few 
European  ports  did  not  show  some  trim  clipper  floating  in  the  harbor, 
bearing  at  her  peak  the  stars  and  stripes. 

From  Maine  to  Georgia  the  people  were  building  ships,  and  manning 
them.  The  vast  forests  resounded  with  the  strokes  of  the  woodman's  axe, 
getting  out  the  timber;  and  the  seaport  towns  were  given  over  to  ship 
wrights,  who  worked  day  and  night  at  their  craft.  In  New  England  there 
sprung  up  a  race  of  hardy  seamen.  Boys  of  twelve  or  fourteen  ran  away 


226  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

to  sea,  made  a  coasting  voyage  or  two,  and,  after  a  voyage  to  some 
European  port,  became  captains  of  ocean-going  ships,  —  often  before  they 
were  twenty  years  of  age.  The  people  of  the  coastwise  towns  of  New 
England  can  tell  of  hundreds  of  such  cases.  There  was  "  Nat "  Palmer 
of  Stonington,  who  shipped  when  a  boy  of  fourteen,  and,  after  four  years' 
coasting,  was  made  second  mate  of  the  brig  "  Herselias,"  bound  around 
Cape  Horn,  for  seals.  On  his  first  voyage  the  young  mate  distinguished 
himself  by  discovering  the  South  Shetland  Islands,  guided  by  the  vague 
hints  of  a  rival  sealer,  who  knew  of  the  islands,  and  wished  them  preserved 
for  his  own  trade,  as  the  seals  swarm  there  by  the  hundred  thousands. 
The  discovery  of  these  islands,  and  the  cargo  of  ten  thousand  skins  brought 
home  by  the  "  Herselias,"  made  young  Palmer  famous ;  and,  at  the  age 
of  twenty,  he  was  put  in  command  of  a  sloop,  and  sent  to  the  South  Seas 
again.  One  day  he  found  his  passage  in  the  desired  direction  blocked  by 
two  long  islands,  with  a  narrow  opening  between  them.  To  go  around 
the  islands  would  have  been  a  long  voyage ;  and  the  young  captain  headed 
his  craft  for  the  opening,  but  soon  found  himself  on  the  rocks.  Luckily, 
the  vessel  backed  off,  and  the  crew  set  about  repairing  damages.  While 
thus  engaged,  the  great,  blunt  head  of  a  whale  was  seen  in  the  narrow 
channel ;  and,  after  blowing  a  column  of  water  high  in  the  air,  the  monster 
swam  lazily  through  the  strait.  "  If  a  whale  can  go  through  that  channel, 
I  can,"  quoth  "  Cap'n  Nat."  And  he  forthwith  did  so.  Quick  of  observa 
tion,  and  prompt  of  action,  the  sailors  of  the  United  States  became  the 
foremost  seamen  of  the  world,  and  guided  their  little  vessels  over  every 
known  sea. 

But  the  growing  commerce  of  the  United  States  was  destined  to  meet 
a  series  of  checks,  that  seemed  for  a  time  likely  to  destroy  it  forever. 
England,  jealous  of  the  encroachments  of  the  Americans  upon  the  broad 
seas  of  which  she  had  long  called  herself  the  mistress,  began  a  series  of 
outrages  upon  American  ships,  and,  not  content  with  acting  in  open 
hostility,  incited  the  piratical  rulers  of  Tripoli  and  Algiers  to  make  war 
upon  American  shipping.  In  this  volume  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  tell  of 
the  means  adopted  by  England  to  let  the  swarming  ships  of  the  Barbary 
pirates  out  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  to  prey  upon  the  vessels  of  the 
United  States ;  nor  do  I  intend  to  tell  how,  after  peaceful  arguments  had 
been  exhausted,  Decatur  and  Preble,  with  a  fleet  of  American  vessels  and 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  227 

a  handful  of  fighting  jack-tars,  crossed  the  ocean,  and  thrashed  the  pirates 
of  tne  Mediterranean  into  subjection.  That  may  well  be  left  for  future 
consideration,  and  this  chapter  devoted  to  a  history  of  the  acts  of  inso 
lence  and  oppression  on  the  part  of  England,  that  finally  forced  the 
United  States  to  declare  war  against  a  power  so  vastly  superior  to  them 
in  wealth,  population,  and  military  and  naval  strength. 

The  first  great  and  crying  outrage,  protested  against  by  the  statesmen, 
the  newspapers,  and  the  people  of  the  United  States,  was  the  so-called 
right  of  search.  By  this  was  meant  the  right  claimed  by  every  British 
man-of-war  to  stop  an  American  vessel  on  the  high  seas,  muster  her  crew 
on  the  forecastle,  and  seize  and  carry  away  any  sailor  thought  to  be  a 
native  of  Great  Britain.  This  outrageous  act  was  committed  time  and 
time  again  by  the  commanders  of  British  frigates,  who  knew  no  easier 
way  of  filling  up  a  short-handed  crew  than  by  stopping  some  passing  vessel 
flying  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  taking  from  her  the  best-looking  sailors 
of  her  crew.  Hardly  a  week  passed  without  the  arrival  of  a  ship  at  New 
York,  New  London,  or  any  of  the  shipping  towns  of  New  England, 
bringing  some  such  tale.  The  merchant-vessel,  skimming  lightly  over 
the  ocean,  at  peace  with  all  the  world,  and  with  nothing  to  fear  save  the 
terrors  of  the  storms,  against  which  the  sturdy  mariners  knew  so  well 
how  to  guard,  would  be  suddenly  halted  by  a  shot  from  a  frigate  of  a 
nation  with  whom  the  United  States  had  no  quarrel.  A  hail  from  the 
frigate  told  the  American  to  come  up  into  the  wind,  while  a  boat  was 
sent  aboard.  Soon  a  long-boat  filled  with  man-o'-war's  men,  and  with  a 
beardless  young  midshipman  in  the  stern-sheets,  came  dancing  over  the 
water;  and  in  a  minute  or  two  a  lieutenant,  the  middy,  and  a  few  sailors 
clambered  aboard  the  wondering  merchantman.  There  was  small  ceremony 
about  the  proceedings  then. 

"Muster  your  men  aft,"  quoth  the  middy  peremptorily;  "and  you'd 
better  be  quick  about  it,  too." 

Perhaps  the  American  captain  protested, — they  generally  did,  —  and 
talked  about  the  peace  between  the  nations,  and  the  protection  of  his 
flag ;  but  his  talk  was  usually  of  little  avail. 

"  Get  those  man  aft,  and  be  quick  about  it,"  orders  the  British  officer. 
"You've  got  deserters  from  his  Majesty's  service  in  your  crew;  and  I'll 
have  them.  Do  you  want  me  to  send  the  boat  back  for  the  marines  ? " 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


The  American  crew  came  aft  unwillingly,  grumbling,  and  cursing  his 
Majesty's  service  under  their  breath,  and  formed  a  line  before  the  boarding 
officer.  That  worthy  whispered  a  minute  or  two  with  the  boatswain  and 
sailors  who  came  aboard  with  him,  and  then,  pointing  out  one  man,  boldly 
claimed  him  as  a  British  subject.  American  captains  declared  that  the 
man  so  chosen  was  generally  the  most  ship-shape  sailor  aboard ;  and 
indeed  it  seemed  but  natural  that  the  English,  in  filling  out  their  crew, 
should  choose  the  best.  Sometimes  the  American  captain  went  on  boarc 
the  British  ship,  to  protest  against  so  summary  a  draft  upon  his  crew. 
In  such  a  case  he  was  usually  received  with  courtesy  by  the  commander, 
but  never  did  he  regain  his  kidnapped  sailors.  The  commander  trusted 
in  every  thing  to  his  first  lieutenant,  who  boarded  the  merchantman ;  and 
that  officer  was  thus  made,  in  the  words  of  an  English  journalist,  "at 
once  accuser,  witness,  judge,  and  captor." 

The  men  thus  pressed  were  expected  to  serve  with  all  the  zeal  anc 
bravery  of  regularly  enlisted  sailors.  The  slightest  sign  of  hesitation  o: 
unwillingness  was  met  with  blows.  A  pressed  man  who  refused  to  serve 
was  triced  up,  and  lashed  with  the  cat-o'-nine  tails  until  his  back  was  cut 
to  ribbons,  and  the  blood  spurted  at  every  blow.  Few  cared  to  endure 
such  punishment  twice.  Yet  the  sailors  taken  from  the  American  ships 
lost  no  opportunity  for  showing  their  desire  to  get  out  of  the  service  into 
which  they  had  been  kidnapped.  Desertions  from  ships  lying  near  the 
coast  were  of  weekly  occurrence,  although  recaptured  deserters  were  hanged 
summarily  at  the  yard-arm.  Sailors  who  found  no  chance  to  desert  made 
piteous  appeals  to  the  American  consuls  in  the  ports  at  which  they 
stopped,  or  wrote  letters  to  their  friends  at  home,  begging  that  something 
should  be  done  to  release  them  from  their  enforced  service.  It  was  not 
the  severity  of  man-o'-war  discipline  that  so  troubled  the  poor  fellows  : 
many  of  them  were  old  man-o'-war's  men,  and  all  would  have  been  glad 
of  berths  in  the  United  States  navy ;  but  the  sight  of  the  red  flag  of 
Great  Britain  waving  above  their  heads,  and  the  thought  that  they  were 
serving  a  nation  with  which  their  country  had  just  fought  a  bloody  war, 
were  intolerable. 

One  "pressed  man,"  on  a  British  ship  lying  in  the  West  Indies,  man 
aged  to  write  the  following  letter  to  a  newspaper  editor  in  New  York, 
and,  after  much  planning,  succeeded  in  mailing  it. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   1812.  229 

PORT  ROYAL,  JAMAICA,  June  30,  1811. 

MR.  SNOWDEN,  —  I  hope  you  will  be  so  good  as  to  publish  these  few  lines.  I, 
Edwin  Bouldin,  was  impressed  out  of  the  barque  "  Columbus "  of  Elizabeth  City, 
and  was  carried  on  board  his  Britannic  Majesty's  brig  "  Rhodian,"  in  Montego  Bay, 
commanded  by  Capt.  Mowbary-  He  told  me  my  protection  was  of  no  consequence, 
and  he  would  have  me  whether  or  not.  I  was  born  in  Baltimore,  and  served  my 
time  with  Messrs.  Smith  &  Buchanan.  I  hope  my  friends  will  do  something  for 
me  to  get  my  clearance ;  for  I  do  not  like  to  serve  any  other  country  but  my  own, 
which  I  am  willing  to  serve.  I  am  now  captain  of  the  forecastle,  and  stationed 
captain  of  a  gun  in  the  waist.  I  am  treated  very  ill,  because  I  will  not  enter. 
They  request  of  me  to  go  on  board  my  country's  ships  to  list  men,  which  I 
refused  to  do,  and  was  threatened  to  be  punished  for  it. 

I  remain  a  true  citizen  of  the  United  States 

EDWIN    BOULDIN. 

Pathetic  letters  such  as  this  appear  often  in  the  columns  of  the  news 
papers  published  in  the  early  part  of  this  century,  and  are  usually  accom 
panied  by  petitions  from  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  pressed  man, 
begging  that  Congress  take  some  action  to  secure  American  sailors  from 
such  outrages.  But  year  after  year  the  practice  went  on,  and  higher  and 
higher  grew  the  enmity  between  England  and  the  United  States.  Among 
the  sailors  who  suffered  impressment  at  the  hands  of  the  British  were 
many  who  afterward  in  the  naval  battles  of  the  ensuing  war  won  ample 
revenge  from  the  nation  that  had  so  abused  their  liberties. 

Most  prominent  of  all  these  men  was  David  Porter,  who,  from  the 
humble  station  of  a  cabin  boy  on  his  father's  ship  in  1796,  rose  in  twenty 
years  to  be  commodore  in  the  United  States  navy.  The  name  of  Porter 
is  one  famous  in  the  naval  annals  of  the  United  States ;  and  probably 
there  never  existed  a  family  in  which  the  love  for  the  life  of  a  fighting 
jack-tar  was  so  strong  as  among  these  representative  American  sailors. 
David  Porter,  sen.,  and  Samuel  Porter  served  the  American  Colonies 
dashingly  upon  the  sea  in  the  Revolution.  Of  David  Porter,  jun.,  we 
shall  have  much  to  say  in  this  volume.  Of  his  children  the  eldest,  William 
D.,  rose  to  the  post  of  commodore,  United  States  navy,  and  died  of  wounds 
received  in  the  civil  war;  Henry  O.  Porter  was  first  lieutenant  of  the 
"  Hatteras  "  when  she  sunk  before  the  fire  of  the  Confederate  ship  "  Ala 
bama  ; "  Thomas  Porter  served  in  the  Mexican  navy ;  Hambleton  Porter 


230  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

died  of  yellow-fever  while  a  midshipman  in  the  United  States  navy ; 
Lieut.  Theodoric  Porter,  U.S.A.,  was  the  first  officer  killed  in  the  Mexi 
can  war;  and  Admiral  David  D.  Porter,  U.S.N.,  by  virtue  of  his  exploits 
on  blue  water  and  in  the  ditches  and  bayous  back  of  Vicksburg  during 
the  civil  war,  now  stands  at  the  head  of  living  naval  officers. 

But  to  return  to  David  Porter.  He  was  sixteen  years  old,  when,  in 
1796,  his  father,  having  obtained  command  of  a  vessel  in  the  West  India 
trade,  determined  to  take  the  lad  to  sea,  that  he  might  learn  the  profes 
sion  of  his  ancestors.  It  was  hardly  a  favorable  time  to  inspire  an  inde 
pendent  boy  with  admiration  for  the  life  of  an  American  merchant  sailor. 
The  United  States  had  no  navy  to  protect  its  merchant  ships  ;  and  the 
British  cruisers  that  scoured  the  ocean  felt  little  hesitation  about  boarding 
the  ships  of  the  infant  nation,  and  kidnapping  such  sailors  as  they  might 
desire.  Of  this  young  Porter  soon  had  evidence.  While  his  ship,  the 
"  Eliza,"  was  lying  in  the  port  of  Jeremie  in  San  Domingo,  a  British 
frigate  came  into  the  harbor,  and  dropped  anchor  near  by.  One  morning 
the  lookout  on  the  "  Eliza "  saw  a  boat,  manned  by  armed  men,  put  off 
from  the  frigate,  and  steer  for  the  American  merchantman.  The  move 
ment  was  quickly  reported  to  Capt.  Porter,  who  was  too  old  a  seaman 
not  to  know  what  it  portended,  and  too  plucky  an  American  to  submit 
willingly  to  any  indignity.  His  preparations  were  quickly  made ;  and  by 
the  time  the  frigate's  boat  came  alongside,  the  crew  of  the  " Eliza"  were 
armed  and  ready  to  rush  to  the  deck  at  the  first  alarm.  Capt.  Porter 
with  his  officers  and  son  stood  on  the  quarterdeck,  and  awaited  with  great 
dignity  the  arrival  of  the  boat.  Soon  the  British  came  alongside ;  and  an 
officer  in  the  stern-sheets  announced  that  he  was  about  to  board  the 
"  Eliza,"  and  demanded  to  search  the  vessels  for  deserters  from  the  British 
service. 

Capt.  Porter  replied  that  his  was  an  American  ship,  and  the  British 
might  board  at  their  peril ;  for  he  was  armed,  and  would  resist  the  boarders 
to  the  last  extremity.  A  great  laugh  went  up  from  the  boat  alongside. 
A  Yankee  merchantman  to  resist  British  sailors,  indeed !  And  the  officer, 
without  more  ado,  ordered  his  men  to  board.  Hardly  had  the  order  passed 
his  lips,  than  Porter's  clear  voice  rang  out,  "  Repel  boarders ! "  and  the 
crew  of  the  "Eliza,"  armed  with  pikes  and  muskets,  rushed  upon  their 
assailants,  and  drove  them  into  the  sea.  Young  Porter  was  not  behind- 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  231 

hand  in  the  fight,  but  lent  his  boyish  aid  to  the  vindication  of  American 
sailors'  rights.  One  man  was  shot  down  by  his  side ;  and  Porter  received 
his  first  baptism  of  blood  in  this  encounter,  which  thus  early  rooted  in  his 
mind  a  detestation  for  the  arrogance  of  the  British,  and  a  determination 
to  devote  his  life  to  the  cause  of  his  seafaring  countrymen. 

On  his  second  voyage,  a  year  later,  young  Porter  was  destined  to 
experience  still  further  the  hardships  and  ignominy  which  American 
sailors  only  too  often  encountered  at  the  hands  of  the  British.  Once 
again  the  boy,  now  a  first  officer,  was  walking  the  deck  of  his  vessel  in 
a  San  Domingo  port,  when  a  boat's-crew  from  a  British  frigate  came  on 
board  on  the  usual  errand  of  impressment.  This  time  the  sturdy,  inde 
pendent  spirit  of  the  elder  Porter  was  absent ;  and  the  captain  of  the 
American  vessel  basely  permitted  a  portion  of  his  crew,  among  whom 
was  Porter,  to  be  carried  aboard  the  frigate,  where  they  were  to  be  kept 
until  they  agreed  to  enlist.  Loaded  with  irons,  they  were  thrust  into  "the 
brig,"  or  guard-room  of  the  frigate ;  but,  though  the  case  seemed  hope- 
less,  Porter  gallantly  refused  to  enter  the  king's  service,  and  ceaselessly 
exhorted  his  comrades  to  stand  firm  against  the  commands  of  the  British. 
Days  passed,  and  still  the  frigate's  crew  was  in  no  wise  increased  from 
among  the  obstinate  Americans.  The  British  captain  lost  patience,  and 
commanded  that  all  the  prisoners  be  brought  out  on  deck,  triced  up,  and 
publicly  flogged  with  the  cat-of-nine  tails,  for  "the  bad  example  they  set 
the  crew  of  his  Majesty's  ship."  The  order  was  duly  put  into  execution. 
The  prisoners,  still  ironed,  were  brought  up  under  a  heavy  guard,  and 
taken  to  the  gratings ;  but  when  young  Porter  reached  the  deck,  and  saw 
the  ignominious  punishment  in  store  for  him,  he  fought  desperately  with 
his  guards,  and,  finally  breaking  away,  ran  below,  and  hid  in  some  corner 
of  the  hold,  from  which  the  most  careful  search  failed  to  dislodge  him. 
The  captain  finally  gave  orders  to  leave  him  alone,  saying,  "He'll  come 
out  fast  enough  when  he  gets  hungry."  But  the  lad  did  not  wait  for 
hunger  to  drive  him  from  his  hiding-place.  That  very  night  he  came 
from  the  hold,  crawled  stealthily  across  the  deck,  and  dropped  into  the 
water,  regardless  of  the  sharks  that  abound  in  those  tropic  seas.  A  short 
swim  took  him  to  a  Danish  vessel,  by  which  he  was  carried  across  the 
Atlantic.  Only  after  many  months  of  voyaging  as  a  common  sailor  did 
the  lad  succeed  in  working  his  way  back  to  his  home. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


Even  this  experience  could  not  deter  the  young  seaman  from  again 
seeking  employment  upon  the  billowy  main,  and  for  the  third  time  he 
shipped  upon  an  American  merchantman.  Again  his  course  lay  toward 
the  West  Indies,  and  again  he  was  intercepted  by  the  inevitable  man-of- 
war.  This  time  he  was  not  so  fortunate  as  to  escape  until  after  a  month 
or  more  of  captivity,  during  which  time  he  was  treated  with  the  greatest 
cruelty  or-  account  of  his  persistent  refusal  to  serve  under  any  flag  save 
that  of  his  own  country.  At  last  he  made  his  escape,  and  reached  home. 
By  this  time  he  was  naturally  somewhat  disgusted  with  the  life  of  a 
sailor  on  an  American  merchant-vessel ;  and  he  cast  about  for  an  appoint 
ment  to  the  navy,  which  he  soon  received.  It  is  impossible  to  doubt 
that  his  three  adventures  with  the  British  press-gang  had  much  to  do 
with  the  ardor  and  bravery  with  which  in  later  days  the  young  sailor, 
then  elevated  to  the  highest  ranks,  did  battle  with  the  enemies  of  his 
country.  When,  at  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  the  veteran  naval 
officer  looked  back  upon  his  record  during  that  conflict,  he  could  point 
to  one  captured  British  man-of-war  and  scores  of  captured  British  mer 
chantmen  as  the  measure  of  his  retaliation  for  the  wrongs  done  him  as  a 
defenceless  American  sailor-boy. 

Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  of  whose  famous  victory  over  the  British  on  Lake 
Erie  we  shall  speak  later,  also  was  brought  into  conflict  with  the  British 
in  the  days  of  the  "  right  of  search."  His  father,  Christopher  Raymond 
Perry,  in  command  of  the  United  States  ship  "  Gen.  Greene,"  was  escorting 
an  American  brig  freighted  with  a  valuable  cargo.  Near  Gibraltar  they 
were  sighted  by  a  British  man-of-war,  which  bore  down  quickly  upon  the 
two  ships.  Perry  was  an  old  and  cautious  naval  officer ;  and,  though  peace 
reigned  between  his  country  and  Great  Britain,  he  no  sooner  saw  an  armed 
vessel  approaching,  than  he  put  his  vessel  in  trim  for  action,  and  sent  the 
crew  to  the  guns.  Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  great  English  man-o'-war; 
and,  as  she  came  within  range,  a  puff  of  smoke  burst  from  her  bow-port,  and 
a  ball  skipped  along  the  water  before  Perry's  unarmed  convoy,  conveying  a 
forcible  invitation  to  heave  to.  Perry  at  once  made  signal  to  his  convoy  to 
pay  no  regard  to  the  Englishman  ;  and,  setting  the  American  flag,  the  two 
ships  continued  on  their  way.  But  at  this  moment  the  breeze  died  away, 
and  all  three  ships  lay  becalmed  within  easy  range  of  each  other.  The 
British  captain  was  not  slow  to  take  advantage  of  this ;  and  a  boat  soon 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1 8 1 2.  233 

put  off  from  his  ship,  and  made  for  the  American  brig.  This  move  Perry 
promptly  checked  by  a.  shot  from  the  "Gen.  Greene,"  which  so  narrowly 
missed  the  boat  that  the  crew  thought  it  well  to  run  alongside  the 
American  man-o'-war,  and  arrange  the  matter  peaceably.  As  the  boat 
came  alongside  the  "Gen.  Greene,"  the  gangway  was  manned,  and  the 
British  officer  escorted  with  the  greatest  formality  to  Perry's  presence. 

He  at  once  stated  his  purpose  in  attempting  to  board  the  merchant 
man  ;  claiming  that,  by  virtue  of  the  right  of  search,  he  was  entitled 
to  visit  the  brig,  and  examine  into  the  nationality  of  her  crew. 

"I  deny  the  existence  of  any  right,  on  the  part  of  British  vessels,  to 
search  any  American  vessel,  except  with  the  consent  of  the  American 
commander,"  responded  Perry;  "and  my  shot  was  intended  to  warn  you 
that  you  had  received  no  such  permission." 

By  this  time  the  British  vessel  had  come  within  hailing  distance  of 
the  "Gen.  Greene;"  and  the  captain  demanded  why  his  boat  had  been 
fired  upon,  and  was  now  detained.  Perry  responded  in  the  same  words 
with  which  he  had  answered  the  boarding-officer. 

"  It's  a  most  surprising  thing,"  shouted  the  Englishman,  losing  his 
temper,  "if  a  British  seventy-four-gun  ship  cannot  search  a  pitiful  little 
Yankee  merchantman." 

"By  Heaven !  "  responded  Perry.  "If  you  were  a  ship  of  the  first  rate, 
you  should  not  do  it,  to  the  dishonor  of  my  flag."  And  in  an  instant  the 
ports  of  the  "Gen.  Greene"  were  triced  up,  and  the  British  captain  saw 
that  his  adversary  was  prepared  for  battle.  After  a  moment's  thought, 
he  abandoned  all  attempts  at  violence,  and  sent  a  courteous  letter  to 
Perry,  begging  leave  to  visit  the  brig  in  search  of  British  deserters,  which 
request  Perry  as  courteously  granted. 

To  this  list  of  American  seamen  who  suffered  indignities  at  the  hands 
of  the  British,  and  afterwards  won  reparation  from  their  enemies  in  the 
War  of  1812,  may  be  added  the  name  of  Joshua  Barney.  Few  Americans 
have  given  to  their  country  a  longer  service  or  more  efficient  aid  than 
he.  In  the  little  Colonial  navy  of  the  Revolution,  he  held  high  rank, 
and  won  the  plaudits  of  older  sailors.  At  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  he 
served  for  a  time  in  the  merchant-marine ;  then  entered  the  naval  service 
of  France,  and,  at  the  first  news  of  war  between  England  and  America, 
returned  to  his  country,  to  enlist  under  the  stars  and  stripes.  It  was 


234  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

while  he  was  in  command  of  a  merchantman  that  he  was  brought  into 
collision  with  the  British  in  a  way  that  well  might  make  the  doughty  old 
sea-dog  doubt  if  the  Revolutionary  days,  when  he  suffered  in  the  noisome 
confines  of  Mill  Prison,  had  not  come  again. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1793,  that  the  good  ship  "Sampson,"  two 
days  out  from  Cape  Francois,  West  Indies,  was  slowly  making  her  way 
northward,  over  the  tropic  seas,  and  under  the  glaring  rays  of  the  summer 
sun  of  the  torrid  zone.  Capt.  Barney  and  his  crew  were  ever  on  the 
watch  for  danger ;  for,  in  addition  to  the  hurricanes  and  typhoons  common 
to  the  equatorial  latitudes,  much  was  to  be  feared  from  the  lawless  British 
privateers  that  then  swarmed  in  the  West  Indies  and  Bermudas.  That 
the  "  Sampson "  was  under  the  flag  of  a  neutral  power,  was  but  little 
protection  ;  for  the  commanders  of  the  semi-piratical  craft  cared  little  for 
international  law  or  for  justice.  War  was  raging  between  France  and 
England  ;  and  a  mere  suspicion  of  traffic  with  French  colonies  was  enough, 
in  the  eyes  of  these  worthies,  to  condemn  a  vessel  of  any  nationality. 

Knowing  his  danger,  Capt.  Barney  strove  to  avoid  the  localities  fre 
quented  by  the  privateers,  but  to  no  avail  One  bright  morning,  the 
lookout  reported  three  sail  in  sight  from  the  masthead,  and  in  a  few  hours 
Barney  found  himself  hemmed  in  by  privateers.  Three  officers  boarded 
him,  and  began  a  rigid  examination  of  the  cargo  and  papers.  Two  finally 
expressed  themselves  as  satisfied  of  the  neutral  character  of  the  vessel ; 
but  the  third  exclaimed  that  he  had  discovered  in  the  cabin  an  iron  chest, 
full  of  money,  which  surely  proved  that  the  "  Sampson "  had  something 
to  do  with  the  French,  for  "no  blasted  Yankee  ever  had  iron  chests  or 
dollars  on  board  his  vessel  ! "  Such  conclusive  proof  as  this  could  not 
be  overlooked  by  the  sapient  privateers ;  and,  after  a  little  consultation, 
they  informed  Capt.  Barney  that  they  would  let  the  ship  go,  if  the  money 
were  given  to  them.  As  it  amounted  to  eighteen  thousand  dollars,  Capt. 
Barney  looked  upon  this  demand  as  nothing  short  of  robbery,  and  indig 
nantly  refused  to  consider  it ;  whereupon  his  captors  took  from  the 
"  Sampson  "  all  her  crew  except  the  carpenter,  boatswain,  and  cook,  sent 
a  prize-crew  aboard,  and  ordered  that  she  be  taken  to  New  Providence,  a 
British  naval  station.  The  privateers  were  soon  hull  down  on  the  horizon ; 
and  Barney  found  himself  a  prisoner  on  his  own  ship,  exposed  to  ceaseless 
insolence  from  the  British  prize-master, 


COMMODORE   PERRY 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  235 

Several  days  passed,  as  the  "  Sampson "  lay  becalmed  in  the  tropics. 
Barney,  though  too  old  a  sailor  to  be  cast  down  by  misfortune,  never 
theless  chafed  under  his  situation.  From  prize-master  and  prize-crew  he 
received  nothing  but  scurrilous  epithets ;  and  the  oft -repeated  murmurs  of 
"Rebel  rascal!"  "Yankee  traitor!"  "Blow  out  his  brains!"  and  "Throw 
him  overboard ! "  made  it  hard  for  him  to  believe  the  Revolution  over, 
and  the  United  States  and  England  at  peace.  Even  while  they  thus 
abused  the  captain,  the  rogues  were  feasting  upon  his  provisions  and 
drinking  his  wines  ;  and  only  his  firm  refusal  to  give  up  his  keys  pre 
vented  their  rifling  his  iron  chest,  and  filling  their  pockets  with  his  dollars. 
At  last  he  began  to  feel  that  his  life  was  no  longer  safe  in  the  hands  of 
his  captors  ;  and,  though  he  had  by  him  but  three  men  of  his  original 
crew,  he  determined  to  attempt  to  recapture  the  ship. 

One  evening  the  captain  managed  to  catch  a  few  minutes'  conversation 
with  the  carpenter  and  boatswain  of  his  own  crew,  and  broached  to  them 
the  project  for  a  recapture.  No  argument  was  needed  to  induce  these 
bold  men  to  embark  in  the  perilous  enterprise.  Indeed,  from  the  very 
moment  of  the  capture,  they  must  have  cherished  some  such  purpose ; 
for  each  had  hidden  away  in  his  bunk  a  gun  and  bayonet.  Barney,  on 
his  part,  had  secreted  a  small  brass  blunderbuss  and  a  broad-sword ;  and 
with  this  meagre  armament  the  three  determined  to  take  the  ship  from 
its  captors. 

The  success  of  the  project  then  depended  upon  a  favorable  opportu 
nity,  and  the  three  conspirators  watched  eagerly  for  the  decisive  moment 
to  arrive.  At  last  there  came  a  day  so  squally  that  all  the  prize-crew 
were  kept  busy  with  the  sails  all  the  morning.  Much  exhausted,  the 
sailors  sat  down  to  their  dinner  on  the  forecastle  at  noon,  while  the 
three  British  officers  spread  their  mess  amidships.  Barney  saw  that 
the  moment  had  arrived ;  and,  giving  the  signal  to  his  men,  the  plotters 
went  below  for  their  weapons.  Barney  was  the  first  to  re-appear,  —  the 
blunderbuss,  loaded  and  cocked,  in  his  hand,  and  the  naked  cutlass  under 
his  arm.  Hardly  had  he  stepped  on  deck  when  one  of  the  officers  saw 
him,  and,  throwing  down  dishes  and  dinner,  sprang  at  the  American  and 
grappled  with  him.  Barney  struggled  violently,  and  soon  managing  to 
get  the  blunderbuss  against  his  enemy's  shoulder,  fired  it,  filling  the 

wretch's   arm   and   side   with   buckshot.      Freed   from   his   adversary,  the 
J 


236  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

gallant  captain  cut  down  with  a  blow  of  his  cutlass  the  second  prize 
officer,  who  was  advancing  upon  him  ;  and  the  third,  seeing  his  two  com 
panions  lying,  drenched  with  blood,  upon  the  deck,  ran  below.  In  the 
mean  time  the  crew,  startled  from  their  dinner  by  the  report  of  the  blun 
derbuss,  had  rushed  below  for  their  weapons  ;  but  the  last  man  had  hardly 
dived  down  the  hatchway  when  the  wily  carpenter  and  boatswain  rushed 
forward,  clapped  on  the  hatches,  and  in  a  trice  had  the  British  sailors 
nicely  cooped  up  in  the  forecastle.  The  two  wounded  officers  were  quickly 
cared  for,  and  the  unhurt  fugitive  secured ;  and  Barney  found  himself 
again  in  control  of  the  ship. 

The  victors  then  held  a  consultation  as  to  their  future  action.  They 
controlled  the  ship,  it  was  true  ;  but  what  were  three  men  to  do  with  a 
full-rigged  ship  on  the  stormy  Atlantic  ?  Clearly  they  must  get  aid  from 
their  captives,  or  all  might  go  to  the  bottom  together.  Accordingly  the 
three,  with  loaded  weapons,  went  forward,  and  standing  at  the  hatchway, 
proposed  terms  to  the  imprisoned  sailors  below.  Capt.  Barney  acted  as 
spokesman. 

"You  shall  be  released  from  confinement,"  cried  he  to  the  captives, 
"and  may  now  come  on  deck  one  at  a  time,  each  one  bringing  his 
weapons  with  him." 

The  hatches  were  then  thrown  back,  and  the  carpenter  and  boat 
swain  stood  with  cutlasses  and  muskets  ready  to  cut  down  the  first  who 
should  make  an  offensive  movement.  The  British  saw  the  preparations 
for  their  reception,  and  came  up  one  at  a  time  as  ordered.  As  each 
came  up,  his  arms  were  seized  and  thrown  overboard,  and  a  gruff  order 
given  for  him  to  go  forward.  Before  long  the  crew,  deprived  of  all  means 
of  resistance,  were  gathered  on  the  forecastle.  Barney  then  retired  to 
the  quarter-deck,  and  ordered  that  the  crew  be  mustered  before  him. 

"  You  are  now  my  prisoners,"  said  he  ;  "  and  I  have  not  only  the 
power,  but  the  right,  to  hang  every  man  jack  of  you.  You  seized  this 
vessel  without  any  just  cause,  and  simply  because  you  were  the  stronger; 
and  you  have  further  used  that  strength  to  abuse  and  ill-treat  me  and 
waste  my  property.  I  do  not  propose  to  execute  you,  but  will  give  you 
the  choice  of  two  alternatives.  You  may  either  stay  with  me  and  work 
this  ship  to  Baltimore^  there  to  be  discharged  with  wages ;  or  I  wih  give 
you  a  small  boat  with  provisions,  and  set  you  adrift  to  shift  for  your- 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 


237 


selves.  One  condition  I  attach  to  the  first  alternative.  If  one  of  you  is 
seen  talking  with  his  former  officers,  or  if  one  man  steps  abaft  the  main 
mast,  he  shall  be  instantly  shot." 

The  crew  wasted  no  time  in   deliberation,  but   decided   to   stay  with 
the   ship,  and   at   once  went   forward  on  duty.     Then  began  a  fortnight 


BARNEY  REGAINS  HIS  SHIP. 

of  ceaseless  watchfulness  and  grave  anxiety  for  Capt.  Barney.  At  night 
he  never  closed  his  eyes,  but  took  his  sleep  by  day  in  an  armchair  on 
deck,  his  blunderbuss  and  cutlass  by  his  side,  and  a  sentinel  ready  to 
awaken  him  at  the  slightest  alarm.  At  last,  however,  he  brought  his 
ship  safely  to  Baltimore,  and  discharged  his  crew.  But  the  memory  of 


238  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

that  month  of  violence  remained  with  him  ;  and  we  shall  hear  of  him 
again  as  a  brave  sailor  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  and  an  uncom 
promising  foe  to  England. 

Among  the  most  adventurous  of  American  merchant  seamen  in  the 
days  following  the  Revolution  was  Capt.  Thomas  Macdonough.  Like 
others  of  his  class,  his  daring  and  ability  as  a  navigator  gained  him  a 
commission  in  the  very  small  American  navy  of  that  time.  On  one 
occasion  the  United  States  ship  "  Siren,"  of  which  he  was  first  lieu 
tenant,  was  lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Gibraltar,  surrounded  by  a 
number  of  merchantmen,  from  the  peak  of  one  of  which  floated  the  stars 
and  stripes.  While  pacing  the  deck  one  bright  afternoon,  Macdonough 
observed  a  boat  manned  with  armed  men  put  off  from  a  British  man- 
of-war  that  rode  at  anchor  a  mile  away.  At  once  his  suspicions  were 
aroused,  and  with  a  strong  glass  he  watched  the  movements  of  the  Brit 
ish.  As  he  had  expected,  the  boat  steered  straight  for  the  American 
merchantman;  and  through  his  glass  Macdonough  could  see  the  boarders 
scramble  over  the  bulwarks  of  the  vessel,  and  soon  thereafter  return  to 
their  boat,  taking  with  them  a  man  dressed  in  the  garb  of  a  merchant 
seaman,  and  tightly  bound. 

The  captain  of  the  "  Siren  "  was  on  shore ;  and  Macdonough,  as  the 
officer  in  command,  determined  that  so  audacious  an  impressment  should 
not  succeed  under  the  guns  of  an  American  war-vessel,  small  though  she 
might  be. 

"  Clear  away  the  long-boat,"  he  shouted ;  and  the  boat  quickly  was 
lowered  to  the  water,  and  a  dozen  jackies  grasped  the  oars.  Macdonough 
sprung  into  the  stern-sheets,  and  grasped  the  tiller. 

"Let  fall!  Give  way!  Pull  hard,  men!"  He  gave  the  orders  in 
quick  succession,  and  laid  his  course  straight  for  the  British  boat,  which 
was  soon  overtaken  He  laid  his  boat  alongside  the  British  cutter,  and 
demanded  that  the  captive  be  given  up.  The  English  officer  began  to 
protest,  but  Macdonough  cut  his  protests  short. 

"You  have  no  right  to  that  man.  He  is  an  American  sailor. — Tumble 
in  here,  my  man." 

The  pressed  man,  delighted  with  the  prospect  of  rescue,  sprang  into 
the  American  boat ;  and  before  the  British  officer  had  recovered  from  his 
amazement  sufficiently  to  offer  resistance,  the  blue-jackets  were  pulling 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  239 

away  toward  the  "  Siren,"  with  the  long,  swinging,  man-o'-war  stroke. 
When  he  reached  his  vessel,  Macdonough  retired  to  his  cabin  to  await 
further  developments,  which  were  not  long  in  appearing. 

"Boat  from  the  British  frigate  heading  for  the  ship,  sir,"  reported  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  in  a  few  minutes. 

"  Very  good,  sir.     Have  the  gangway  manned,"  returned  the  lieutenant. 

The  boat  was  soon  alongside ;  and  the  British  captain,  white  with 
rage,  leaped  to  the  gangway,  and  was  shown  to  Lieut.  Macdonough' s 
cabin. 

"How  dare  you  take  a  man  from  a  boat  of  his  Majesty's  ship,  sir?" 
was  his  salutation. 

" '  Dare '  is  not  a  word  to  be  spoken  to  an  officer  of  the  United  States 
navy,"  responded  Macdonough.  "As  for  the  man,  he  is  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States  ;  and  I  propose  to  protect  him,  at  all  hazards." 

"I'll  bring  my  frigate  alongside,  and  sink  your  beggarly  little  craft/9 
shouted  the  visitor,  with  a  volley  of  oaths. 

"That  you  may  do,"  responded  the  American;  "but  while  she  swims; 
the  man  you  shall  not  have." 

"You  are  a  hair-brained  young  fellow,  and  will  repent  this  rashness," 
ciied  the  irate  Briton.  "Do  you  mean  to  say,  that,  if  I  had  been  in  that 
boat,  you  would  have  dared  to  commit  such  an  act?" 

"I  should  have  made  the  attempt,  sir,  at  all  hazards." 

"What,  sir!"  shouted  the  captain,  greatly  enraged,  "would  you  venture 
to  interfere,  if  I  should  now  impress  men  from  that  brig  ? " 

"You  have  but  to  try  it,  sir,"  was  the  pithy  response.  And  the  British 
captain  returned  to  his  frigate,  vowing  all  sorts  of  vengeance,  but  never- 
theless  did  not  again  annoy  the  American  ship. 

While  the  popular  clamor  against  the  hateful  right  of  search  was  still 
at  its  height  in  America,  Great  Britain  unwisely  added  yet  another  out 
rage  to  the  already  long  list  of  grievances  complained  of  by  the  Americans. 
Notwithstanding  the  danger  of  Barbary  pirates  and  British  impressment, 
the  merchants  of  the  United  States  were  carrying  on  a  thriving  trade 
with  France.  England,  then  at  war  with  the  great  Napoleon,  looked  upon 
this  commerce  at  first  with  disfavor,  and  finally  with  such  intense  hatred 
that  she  determined  to  put  an  end  to  it  altogether.  Accordingly,  she 
issued  the  celebrated  "Orders  in  Council,"  forbidding  all  traffic  with 


240  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   1812. 

French  ports.  For  such  action  the  imperious  nation  had  no  authority  by 
any  principle  of  international  law.  Her  blockade  of  the  French  ports  was 
very  imperfect,  and  easily  evaded.  It  is  a  perfectly  well-established  prin 
ciple  of  the  common  law  of  nations  that  a  blockade,  to  be  legal,  must 
be  complete  and  effective ;  otherwise,  it  is  known  as  a  "  paper  blockade," 
and  neutral  vessels  are  justified  in  attempting  to  evade  it.  Instead  of 
posting  blockading  vessels  at  the  entrances  of  French  ports,  to  warn  off 
all  vessels,  Great  Britain  contented  herself  with  licensing  hordes  of  pri 
vateers,  that  roamed  the  seas  and  snapped  up  vessels  with  little  regard 
to  law  or  justice.  Hundreds  of  American  vessels  were  thus  captured  ; 
for  our  trade  with  France  and  the  French  West  Indian  colonies  at  that 
time  was  of  vast  proportions.  The  ocean  soon  became  so  infested  with 
privateers  that  every  American  merchantman  carried  cannon,  and  an  array 
of  small-arms  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  sloop-of-war.  The  New 
England  sailors  became  able  naval  fighters,  as  well  as  experienced  seamen ; 
for  a  man  shipping  for  a  voyage  knew  well  that,  in  addition  to  battling 
with  the  angry  elements,  he  might  be  required  to  sight  truly  the  great 
"long  Tom,"  or  beat  back  piratical  boarders  at  the  muzzle  of  the  muskets. 
But  even  these  heroic  remedies  could  not  save  many  a  good  ship. 

Occurrences  such  as  these  fanned  into  flaming  fury  the  smouldering 
fires  of  the  American  hatred  for  Great  Britain.  The  people  saw  their 
old  oppressor  and  enemy  engaged  in  war  with  their  old  ally  France,  and 
the  popular  cry  went  up  for  a  union  of  France  and  the  United  States 
against  England.  Happily,  the  statesmen  of  the  time  —  Washington, 
Hamilton,  and  Jay  —  were  too  firm  of  purpose,  and  too  clear-sighted,  to 
be  led  away  by  popular  clamor ;  and  they  wisely  kept  the  United  States 
Government  in  a  position  of  neutrality  between  the  two  nations.  Deep 
and  loud  were  the  murmurs  of  the  people  at  this  action.  Could  true- 
hearted  Americans  desert  their  friends  in  such  a  manner  ?  Never !  And 
so,  whatever  might  be  the  policy  of  the  rulers,  the  many-headed  people 
welcomed  French  ambassadors,  feted  the  officers  of  visiting  men-of-war, 
and  hung  the  tri-color  and  the  stars  and  stripes  side  by  side  on  all  public 
holidays. 

It  was  in  1795,  while  the  popular  affection  for  France  was  at  its 
height,  that  a  merchant-vessel  flying  the  British  flag  sailed  into  Boston 
Harbor,  and  made  fast  to  the  Long  Wharf.  Under  her  stern  appeared 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


241 


the  legend,  "  The  Betsy  of  St.  Croix ; "  her  decks  were  littered  with  poultry 
and  domestic  animals,  her  cordage  flapped  loosely  in  the  breeze,  and  every 
thing  about  her  bespoke  the  merchant-vessel.  Her  captain,  being  hailed 
by  the  dock-loafers,  and  made  the  victim  of  the  proverbial  Yankee 
inquisitiveness,  stated  that  he  had  just  come  from  the  West  Indies  with 
a  load  of  lignum-vitae,  pineapples,  and  hides,  which  he  hoped  to  sell  in 
Boston.  The  self-constituted  investigating  committee  seemed  satisfied, 
and  the  captain  strolled  on  into  the  city. 

But  the  French  consul  at  Boston  was  far  from  satisfied,  and  he  took 
care  to  let  his  suspicions  become  generally  known.  "That  innocent- 
looking  merchantman  is  a  British  privateer,"  quoth  he;  "and  it's  a  shame 
to  harbor  her  in  the  good  port  of  Boston,  amid  French-loving  people." 
The  consul's  words  spread  like  wildfire ;  and  his  suspicions  soon  passed 
for  facts,  without  any  supporting  proof.  No  one  knows  who  was  the  writer, 
or  who  the  printer ;  but  in  a  few  hours  the  people  upon  the  streets  bar 
thrust  into  their  hands  the  following  handbill :  — 


THIS    NIGHT 

Will  be  performed  at  the  steps  bottom  of 
Long  Wharf 

A     COMEDY 

of  stripping  the 
BERMUDIAN    PRIVATEER. 


CITIZENS.  Remember  there  have  been 
near  three  hundred  of  our  American  vessels 
taken  by  these  Bermudians,  and  have  received 
the  most  barbarous  treatment  from  those 
Damn'd  PIRATES!!! 

Now,  Americans,  if  you  feel  the  spirit  of 
resentment  or  revenge  kindling  in  your  hearts, 
let  us  be  united  in  the  cause. 


This  was  enough  to  rouse  the  turbulent  people  of  Boston  to  action. 
They  well  remembered  the  winter's  night,  twenty-two  years  before,  when 
their  harbor  was  the  scene  of  the  first  protest  against  the  oppression  of 


242  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   1812. 


Great  Britain.  Then  they  threw  overboard  the  tea,  and  spared  the  ships  ; 
this  time  ship  and  cargo  alike  should  be  destroyed.  When  night  fell, 
small  bodies  of  men  could  be  seen  marching  down  to  the  wharfs,  through 
the  narrow,  crooked  streets  of  the  old  town.  Before  eight  o'clock  Long 
Wharf  was  crowded  with  an  angry  mob.  On  the  deck  of  the  threatened 
vessel  stood  the  captain,  arguing  and  pleading  with  the  crowd,  and  at 
times  pointing  to  the  scarlet  flag  above  his  head,  and  threatening  his 
assailants  with  the  wrath  of  mighty  England.  Argument,  entreaty,  and 
threats  proved  unavailing ;  and  the  crowd,  gaining  courage  with  numbers, 
rushed  upon  the  vessel,  and  ordered  captain  and  crew  ashore.  Leaving 
the  scene,  the  captain  rushed  wildly  into  the  city  in  search  of  the  British 
consul ;  and,  in  his  absence,  the  mob  began  to  search  his  ship.  An  active 
and  careful  search  soon  brought  to  light  in  an  out-of-the-way  corner  of 
the  hold  two  swivel-guns,  two  three-pounders,  forty  charges  of  shot, 
fifteen  pounds  of  powder,  and  eight  muskets.  All  was  piled  upon  the 
deck,  and  pointed  out  to  the  captain  on  his  return,  amid  frantic  yells 
from  the  enraged  populace.  He  solemnly  protested  that  the  ordnance 
was  only  intended  for  purposes  of  defence  against  the  pirates  that  in 
fested  the  Bermudas.  But  the  case  was  already  judged.  The  people 
laughed  at  the  captain's  declarations ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  "  Betsy," 
a  mass  of  flame,  was  drifting  across  the  harbor  to  the  Charlestown  beach. 
There  she  blazed  away,  while  the  crowd  watched  the  bonfire  from  the 
dock,  until  the  last  timbers  of  the  ship  fell  with  a  hiss  into  the  black 
waters,  and  all  was  dark  again. 

Popular  sympathy  is  at  best  but  an  unstable  sentiment,  and  so  it 
proved  with  this  unreasoning  affection  of  the  American  people  for  France. 
Firmly  the  American  authorities  held  to  their  policy  of  neutrality,  refusing 
to  be  influenced  in  the  slightest  degree  by  the  popular  clamor  of  the 
people  for  an  alliance  with  France.  Then  the  French  sympathizers  made 
their  fatal  error.  In  the  presidential  chair  of  the  United  States  sat  Wash 
ington,  the  hero  of  the  Revolution.  Rashly  the  French  minister  and  his 
following  began  an  onslaught  upon  this  great  and  wise  man,  because  of 
his  firm  determination  to  keep  the  United  States  neutral.  They  accused 
him  of  being  an  "aristocrat;"  of  wishing  to  found  an  hereditary  monarchy, 
with  himself  at  the  head.  No  epithet  was  too  vile  for  them  to  apply  to 
him:  "liar"  and  "traitor"  were  terms  freely  applied  to  him  whom  we* 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   1812.  243 

regard  as  the  veritable  founder  of  our  free  Republic.  Such  intemperate 
and  unreasoning  malice  as  this  had  a  very  different  effect  from  what 
was  intended  by  the  French  sympathizers,  or  Republicans  as  the  party  was 
then  termed.  The  party  supporting  the  President  gained  strength  and 
influence,  even  while  the  actions  of  Napoleon  and  the  French  Chamber 
of  Deputies  were  giving  American  seamen  the  same  grounds  of  complaint 
as  those  which  Great  Britain  had  so  long  forced  upon  them. 

It  was  during  the  last  year  of  the  administration  of  Washington,  that 
the  French  Directory  issued  secret  orders  to  the  commanders  of  all 
French  men-of-war,  directing  them  to  treat  neutral  vessels  in  the  same 
manner  as  they  had  suffered  the  English  to  treat  them.  The  cunning 
intent  of  this  order  is  apparent  by  its  wording :  "  Treat  American  vessels 
as  they  suffer  themselves  to  be  treated  by  the  British."  What  course 
does  that  leave  open  to  the  Americans,  save  to  resist  the  British,  thereby 
become  involved  in  a  war,  and  so  aid  France?  But  there  was  one  other 
alternative ;  and,  much  to  the  surprise  and  chagrin  of  the  French,  the 
Americans  adopted  it.  And  the  only  effect  of  the  diplomatic  secret  order 
was  to  embroil  France  in  a  naval  war  with  the  United  States. 

The  condition  of  American  commerce,  after  the  promulgation  of  the 
French  decree,  became  deplorable  indeed.  A  merchant-vessel  flying  the 
American  flag  was  never  safe  unless  under  the  guns  of  an  American 
war-vessel ;  and  the  reduction  of  the  navy  had  made  these  few  indeed. 
Should  the  brig  "  Nancy"  or  "  Sarah  Jane"  put  out  from  the  little  port 
of  Salem  or  New  London,  she  was  certain  to  be  overhauled  by  some 
British  frigate,  whose  boarding  officer  would  pick  from  the  brig's  crew  a 
few  able  sailors,  and  leave  her  to  make  her  way  short-handed  as  best  she 
might.  Next  would  come  along  some  French  frigate  or  privateer,  —  some 
"Terreur,"  "  Incroyable,"  or  "  Insurgente,"  —  whose  astute  officers  would 
quickly  notice  the  gaps  in  the  American  crew,  and,  finding  out  that  the 
brig  had  been  boarded  by  the  English,  would  declare  her  a  prize  for 
having  given  aid  to  the  enemies  of  la  belle  France.  Should  the  little 
brig  be  so  fortunate  as  to  escape  the  civilized  belligerents,  there  were  still 
the  pirates  of  Tripoli,  the  picaroons  of  the  French  West  Indies,  and  the 
unauthorized  and  irresponsible  pirates,  who,  with  forged  commissions  and 
flying  the  Spanish  or  Portuguese  colors,  ravaged  the  seas  in  all  directions. 
The  career  of  an  American  merchantman  at  that  time  is  admirably  told 


244  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   1812. 

by  our  great  novelist  Fenimore  Cooper  in  his  sea-tale  of  "  Miles  Walling- 
ford."  The  fate  of  the  good  brig  "Dawn"  was  the  fate  of  too  many  an 
American  vessel  in  those  turbulent  times ;  and  the  wondrous  literary  art 
with  which  the  novelist  has  expanded  the  meagre  records  of  the  times 
into  an  historical  novel  of  surpassing  interest  makes  an  acquaintance  with 
the  book  essential  to  a  proper  knowledge  of  American  naval  history. 

The  first  act  of  retaliation  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  was  the 
embargo  ordered  by  Congress,  which  prohibited  any  vessel  from  leaving 
American  ports.  This  action  had  two  effects.  It  quickly  brought  about 
great  distress  in  European  countries,  which  even  then  relied  much  on 
the  United  States  for  food.  This  was  the  chief  object  of  the  embargo. 
The  second  effect  was  inevitable.  The  sudden  check  upon  all  foreign 
commerce  plunged  business  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States  into  stag 
nation.  Sailors  out  of  work  thronged  the  streets  of  the  seaport  towns. 
Farmers  trudged  weary  miles  beside  their  ox-teams,  only  to  find,  when 
they  had  hauled  their  produce  to  town,  that  there  was  no  market  for  it. 
Along  the  CIOCKS  me  snips  lay  iaiy  tugging  at  tneir  cables,  or  stranded 
on  ihe  flats  as  the  tide  went  out.  Merchants  discharged  their  clerks, 
and  great  warehouses  were  locked  up  and  deserted.  For  nearly  a  year 
the  ports  were  closed,  and  commerce  thus  languished.  Then  Congress 
substituted  for  the  embargo  the  Non-intercourse  Act,  which  simply  pro 
hibited  commerce  with  France  and  England  ;  and  again  the  American 
flag  appeared  upon  the  ocean.  But  the  two  warring  nations  had  learned 
neither  wisdom  nor  justice,  and  began  again  their  depredations  upon  the 
unoffending  Americans.  Envoys  were  sent  to  France  to  protest  against 
the  outrageous  action  of  that  nation ;  but  they  were  told  that  no  audience 
could  be  granted  them,  unless  they  paid  into  the  French  treasury  two 
hundred  and  forty  thousand  dollars.  This  last  insult  was  too  great.  The 
envoys  returned  home,  told  of  their  treatment,  and  the  war  party  in 
the  United  States  rallied  to  the  defence  of  their  nation's  honor,  shouting 
Pinckney's  noble  sentiment,  "Millions  for  defence,  but  not  one  cent  Jot 
tribute." 


CHAPTER    II. 


WAR  WITH  FRANCE. —  THE  BUILDING  OF  A  NAVY.  —  FIRST  SUCCESS  FOR  THE  AMERICANS.— 
CUTTING  OUT  THE  "  SANDWICH.  "-THE  "CONSTELLATION"  AND  "  L'INSURGENTE."  — THE 
"CONSTELLATION"  AND  "LA  VENGEANCE." 

HILE  France  and  England  were  waging  a  desperate  and  bloody 
war,  the  United  States  was  like  a  shuttlecock,  being  struck 
repeatedly  by  the  diplomatic  battledores  of  each  nation.  Be 
tween  the  British  "  Orders  in  Council "  and  the  French  "  Milan 
Decree,"  American  commerce  was  in  a  fair  way  of  being  obliterated.  To 
declare  war  against  both  nations,  would  have  been  absurd  in  so  young  a 
people  ;  and  for  months,  and  even  years,  the  fierce  contests  of  political 
parties  in  the  United  States  made  a  declaration  of  war  against  either 
aggressor  impracticable.  Now  the  Franco-maniacs  were  in  the  ascend 
ency,  and  the  country  rang  with  praises  of  France, — the  nation  which 
had  cast  off  aristocrats,  and,  like  America,  was  devoted  to  republican 
principles  ;  the  nation  which  had  aided  the  Colonies  in  their  war  for 
freedom.  What  though  a  French  privateer  did  occasionally  seize  an 
American  ship  ?  The  Americans  alone  were  to  blame  for  that ;  for  was 

245 


246  BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 

not  their  attitude  toward  England,  their  natural  foe,  enough  to  inflame 
the  French?  And  were  not  the  British  aggressions  more  oppressive  than 
those  of  France?  War  there  must  be,  but  let  it  be  declared  against  the 
hated  British. 

Such  were  the  sentiments  of  the  French  sympathizers,  or  Democrats 
as  they  were  then  termed  in  political  parlance.  But  the  English  sym 
pathizers,  or  Federalists,  held  very  different  opinions.  They  made  no 
attempt  to  excuse  the  offensive  attitude  assumed  by  England,  but  claimed 
that  so  soon  as  her  war  with  France  was  over  she  would  admit  the  injus 
tice  of  her  actions,  and  make  due  reparation  for  the  injuries  she  had 
heaped  upon  American  commerce.  But  they  pointed  out  that  for  one 
vessel  taken  by  England,  ten  were  seized  by  French  privateers,  or  pirati 
cal  vessels  of  nondescript  nationality,  but  bearing  French  papers.  As 
for  France  loving  republican  principles,  her  republicanism  was  founded 
upon  blood  and  the  guillotine.  She  was  no  longer  the  nation  that  had 
aided  the  struggling  Colonies.  She  was  the  nation  that  had  foully  mur 
dered  the  kind  king  who  had  len-t  that  aid  two  decades  before.  Besides 
these  arguments,  the  Federalists  did  not  scruple  to  hint,  that,  in  a  second 
war  with  England,  the  United  States  might  lose  the  independence  so 
recently  won,  while  the  navy  of  France  was  not  so  greatly  to  be  dreaded. 

Indeed,  the  American  people  of  that  day  might  well  be  excused  for 
lethargy  in  resenting  the  insults  of  any  first-class  naval  power.  It  is 
not  too  strong  a  statement,  to  say  that  at  this  time,  when  the  need  was 
greatest,  the  United  States  had  no  navy.  At  the  close  of  the  Revolu 
tion,  the  navy  had  been  disbanded,  the  ships  sold,  and  the  officers  dis 
persed  among  the  vessels  of  the  merchant  marine.  This  fact  alone  is 
enough  to  account  for  the  depredations  of  French,  English,  Portuguese, 
Tripolitans,  and  the  hordes  of  pirates  without  a  country.  Is  there  no 
lesson  in  this  ?  From  this  lesson  of  history  cannot  we  deduce  the  rule  that 
a  nation  with  6,000  miles  of  sea-coast,  a  republic  hated  by  all  monarchies, 
must  maintain  its  sea-power  if  it  would  maintain  its  honor  ?  The  naval  re 
generation  begun  in  1893  ought  not  to  be  checked  until  the  United  States 
ranks  next  to  Great  Britain  as  a  naval  power. 

But  the  depredations  of  the  enemies  of  American  commerce  at  last 
reached  such  a  point  that  Congress  could  no  longer  overlook  the  neces 
sity  for  an  American  navy.  In  March,  1794,  Congress,  after  listening  to 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  247 


a  message  from  the  President  detailing  the  depredations  of  the  Algerines, 
passed  an  Act  authorizing  the  construction  or  purchase  of  six  frigates,  ot 
an  equivalent  naval  force.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  present  United 
States  navy ;  for  some  of  the  frigates  built  under  that  law  are  still  afloat, 
although  no  longer  exposed  to  the  rude  shocks  of  battle  or  the  still  more 
violent  onslaughts  of  the  mighty  ocean. 

In  accordance  with  the  law,  the  frames  of  six  frigates  were  quickly 
laid  upon  the  stocks  at  six  different  ship-yards ;  and  even  while  the  ribs 
were  yet  uncovered,  commanders  were  selected  for  the  unbuilt  ships. 
The  names  of  ships  and  officers  alike  are  famous  in  American  annals, 
and  may  well  be  mentioned  here.  The  "  Constitution,"  "  President," 
"United  States,"  " Chesapeake,"  "Constellation,"  and  "Congress"  were 
the  vessels  begun  at  this  time ;  and  the  rolls  of  no  navy  of  the  world 
ever  bore  six  more  famous  names.  The  captains  chosen  were  John  Barry, 
Samuel  Nicholson,  Silas  Talbot,  Joshua  Barney,  Richard  Dale,  and  Thomas 
Truxton.  Of  these,  all  save  Truxton  had  served  the  Colonies  in  the  Rev 
olution.  Barney  narrowly  escaped  being  totally  disowned  by  his  country 
because  while  holding  a  commission  in  the  French  navy  he  had  once 
accidentally  hoisted  the  American  flag  upside  down.  A  cry  went  up 
from  his  enemies,  that  it  was  an  intentional  insult  to  the  country  ;  but 
his  friends,  with  justice,  pleaded  that  the  flag  had  been  wet,  and  a  sailor, 
running  it  up  to  dry,  had  thus  carelessly  inverted  it. 

In  the  mean  time  the  building  of  the  ships  went  merrily  on,  until, 
when  they  were  nearly  finished,  a  disgraceful  treaty  was  made  with 
Algiers,  and  work  on  the  new  navy  was  neglected,  and  three  of  the 
unfinished  ships  sold.  But  in  1797  the  French  depredations  became  so 
unbearable  that  work  was  hastened ;  and  cities  and  towns,  not  satisfied 
with  the  three  frigates  provided  for,  began  collecting  subscriptions  for 
the  purchase  of  ships,  to  be  presented  to  the  Government.  The  first 
of  the  frigates  building  by  the  Government  to  reach  the  water  was  the 
"United  States."  As  the  first  vessel  built  by  the  United  States  under 
the  Constitution,  her  launch  was  an  event  to  be  celebrated.  At  noon 
on  the  bright  May  afternoon  chosen,  the  streets  of  Philadelphia  leading 
to  the  ship-yard,  where  the  hull  of  the  great  frigate  lay  upon  the  stocks, 
were  thronged  with  holiday-making  people.  The  sun  had  hardly  risen, 


248 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 


when  anxious  spectators  began  to  seize  upon  the  best  points  of  observa 
tion  about  the  ship-yard.  The  hour  of  the  launch  was  set  at  one  P.M.  ; 
and  for  hours  before  the  crowd  of  watchers  sung  patriotic  songs,  cheered 
for  Congress  and  the  new  navy,  and  anxiously  debated  the  chances  of 
a  successful  launch.  The  river  was  covered  with  pleasure-craft,  decked 
with  flags,  and  bright  with  the  gay  dresses  of  ladies.  The  great  frigate, 
too,  was  a  mass  of  bunting  from  stem  to  stern.  At  one  precisely,  the 
blows  of  many  hammers  were  heard  knocking  out  the  blocks ;  and,  after  a 
moment's  trembling  pause,  the  first  United  States  frigate  glided  swiftly 


TOASTING  THE  WOODEN  WALLS  OF  COLUMBIA. 

into  the  water,  and,  after  a  graceful  dip,  rode  buoyantly  on  the  placid  sur 
face  of  the  Delaware. 

While  the  ships  were  building,  the  war-feeling  against  France  was 
steadily  growing,  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  over  the  infant  navy 
knew  no  bounds.  Toasts  to  the  "  wooden  walls  of  Columbia,"  and  the 
"rising  navy  of  America,"  were  drunk  with  cheers  at  stately  public  ban 
quets,  and  by  bands  of  jolly  roisterers  at  tap-houses.  The  patriotic  song 
writer  invaded  the  columns  of  the  newspapers ;  and,  as  these  could  not 
afford  space  for  all  the  poetic  effusions,  they  were  printed  on  broadsides, 
and  hawked  about  the  streets.  At  Harvard  College  the  students  made 
the  chapel  walls  ring  with  the  ode  written  by  Joseph  Story :  — 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  249 

"Shall  Gallia's  clan  our  coast  invade, 

With  hellish  outrage  scourge  the  main, 
Insult  our  nation's  neutral  trade, 
And  we  not  dare  our  rights  maintain? 
Rise,  united  Harvard's  band, 
Rise,  the  bulwark  of  our  land." 

Admirable  as  may  be  the  patriotism  of  this  ode,  the  poetry  is  not 
above  criticism  ;  but  it  is  classic  in  comparison  with  many  others.  The 
following  stanza  and  chorus  will  show  the  character  of  one  of  the  most 
popular  street-songs  of  the  day :  — 

"  Americans,  then  fly  to  arms, 

And  learn  the  way  to  use  'em. 
If  each  man  fights  to  'fend  his  rights, 
The  French  can't  long  abuse  'em. 

Yankee  Doodle  (mind  the  tune), 

Yankee  Doodle  Dandy; 
For  the  French  there's  trouble  brewin': 

We'll  spank  'em,  hand  and  handy." 

From  Maine  to  Georgia  the  mania  for  writing  such  doggerel  spread 
with  a  rapidity  only  equalled  by  the  avidity  with  which  the  people  seized 
upon  the  songs,  and  sung  them.  A  complete  collection  of  these  remark^ 
able  efforts  of  poetic  art  would  form  an  amusing  volume,  and  from  it 
alone  a  history  of  political  movements  in  the  United  States  might  be 
written.  That  even  such  wretched  doggerel  had  its  effect  upon  popular 
sentiment,  cannot  be  doubted  ;  for  has  it  not  been  said,  "  I  care  not  who 
makes  the  laws  of  a  nation,  let  me  but  write  its  songs  "  ? 

But  the  manifestation  of  the  growing  ill-feeling  towards  France  was 
not  confined  to  poor  but  harmless  poetizing.  The  first  open  rupture  took 
place  at  Savannah.  In  the  port  of  that  city  were  lying  two  long,  rakish 
schooners  flying  the  French  tricolor.  Their  decks  were  crowded  with 
men,  whose  rough  actions  and  brutal  countenances  showed  them  to  be 
no  respecters  of  law  or  order.  It  did  not  need  the  rows  of  cannon  pro 
truding  from  the  ports,  nor  the  carefully  covered  "long  Toms"  amid- 


250  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

ships,  to  indicate  to  the  good  people  of  Savannah  that  their  harbor 
sheltered  two  French  privateers.  Among  the  seafaring  people  of  the 
city,  the  sight  of  these  two  vessels  aroused  the  greatest  anger.  Were 
they  not  representatives  of  the  nation  whose  ships  were  seizing  and 
burning  American  vessels  in  the  West  Indies  almost  daily?  Perhaps 
these  very  vessels  were  then  fresh  from  an  action  with  some  American 
ship.  Who  could  tell  that  the  holds  of  the  privateers  did  not  at  that 
very  minute  contain  the  best  part  of  the  cargo  of  some  captured  American 
vessel?  Probably  the  last  shot  fired  from  that  "long  Tom"  had  crashed 
into  the  side  of  some  little  brig  flying  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  perhaps 
ended  the  career  of  many  an  American  sailor.  From  suspicions  and 
conjectures,  positive  statements  soon  grew.  It  was  whispered  about  that 
the  two  privateers  had  recently  plundered  and  burned  a  Yankee  ship 
returning  from  the  West  Indies  with  a  goodly  store  of  specie  in  exchange 
for  her  cargo.  Those  cut-throat-looking  Frenchmen  were  even  then  stained 
with  the  blood  of  true  Americans.  The  money  they  threw  on  the  bars  of 
water-side  dram-shops,  in  exchange  for  the  vile  rum  which  was  the  worst 
enemy  of  too  many  a  good  jack-tar,  was  looked  upon  with  suspicion. 
"What  Yankee's  pockets  did  Johnny  Crapaud  pick  to  get  all  that  money?" 
growled  the  American  sailors. 

The  Frenchmen  were  not  slow  in  discovering  the  dislike  manifested 
by  the  people  of  Savannah ;  and  like  true  soldiers  of  fortune,  as  they 
were,  they  did  nothing  to  make  friends  of  their  enemies.  They  came 
ashore  in  troops  instead  of  singly.  Cutlasses  hung  at  their  sides.  Their 
tight  leather  belts  held  many  a  knife  or  clumsy  pistol.  Their  walk  on 
the  street  was  a  reckless  swagger ;  and  a  listener  who  could  understand 
French  could  catch  in  their  loud  conversation  many  a  scornful  sneer  or 
braggart  defiance  of  the  Americans. 

Such  a  state  of  affairs  could  not  long  continue.  Each  party  was  ready 
and  waiting  to  fight,  and  it  was  not  hard  to  find  an  excuse.  How  the 
fighting  began,  no  one  ever  knew ;  but  one  night  the  streets  of  the  little 
city  resounded  with  cries  of  rage  and  groans  of  agony  Soon  crowds 
began  to  gather ;  and  sailors  rushed  up  and  down  the  streets,  crying  that 
the  French  desperadoes  had  killed  three  Americans.  The  rage  of  the  popu 
lace,  and  particularly  of  the  seafaring  community,  had  no  bounds.  "  Arm  ! 
arm  !  and  take  bloody  vengeance  upon  the  murderers,"  was  the  cry  in  all 


THOMAS    MACDON'OnHI.  I'.S.N. 


COMMODORE    MACDONOUGH 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  251 

quarters.  The  mob  blocked  all  the  roadways  leading  to  the  water-front. 
With  cutlasses  and  guns  they  attacked  the  sailors  on  "  L' Agile,"  which 
lay  at  a  wharf,  and  drove  them  overboard.  Once  in  possession  of  the 
ship,  the  enraged  rioters  vented  their  fury  by  cutting  away  the  masts 
and  rigging,  tearing  to  pieces  the  woodwork  of  the  cabin,  and  finally 
putting  the  torch  to  the  battered  bulk,  and  sending  her  drifting  help 
lessly  down  the  river.  This  summary  vengeance  did  not  satisfy  their 
anger.  They  looked  about  them  for  the  other  vessel,  "  La  Vengeance," 
and  discovered  that  she  had  been  towed  away  from  the  shore,  and  was 
being  warped  up  stream  to  a  place  of  safety.  Boats  were  secured,  and 
the  irresistible  mob  set  out  in  mad  pursuit.  A  militia  company,  hastily 
sent  to  the  scene  of  action  by  the  authorities  of  the  town,  failed  to  check 
the  riot ;  and,  after  a  futile  struggle  on  the  part  of  her  crew,  "  La  Ven 
geance "  shared  the  fate  of  her  consort.  Sympathy  for  France  was  well 
rooted  out  of  Savannah  then,  and  the  cry  of  the  city  was  for  war. 

Before  the  news  of  the  uprising  at  Savannah  was  known  in  New 
England,  the  navy  had  struck  the  first  blow  against  French  oppression, 
and  the  victory  had  rested  with  the  sailors  of  the  United  States.  Con 
gress  had  at  last  been  aroused  to  a  sense  of  the  situation,  and  had 
issued  orders  to  captains  of  American  war-vessels,  directing  them  to 
capture  French  cruisers  wherever  found.  A  number  of  large  merchant- 
vessels  and  India-men  had  been  armed  hastily,  and  sent  out ;  and  at  last 
the  country  had  a  navy  on  the  seas.  One  of  the  first  vessels  to  get 
away  was  the  "  Delaware,"  a  twenty-gun  ship,  commanded  by  Stephen 
Decatur  the  elder.  Decatur  had  been  out  but  a  few  days  when  a 
merchantman,  the  "  Alexander  Hamilton,"  was  sighted,  from  the  halliards 
of  which  a  flag  of  distress  was  flying.  The  "  Delaware  "  ran  toward  the 
vessel,  and  sent  a  boat  aboard,  which  returned,  bringing  the  captain  of 
the  distressed  craft.  To  Decatur  the  .captain  related  the  old  story  of  French 
aggression,  which  had  become  so  hateful.  Only  the  day  before,  he  said, 
his  ship  had  been  boarded  by  boats'-crews  from  a  French  privateer  of 
twenty  guns.  The  assailants,  once  on  board,  had  eaten  his  provisions, 
and  plundered  his  cargo  without  scruple.  He  gave  careful  directions  as 
to  the  course  of  the  privateer  after  leaving  the  "Alexander  Hamilton," 
and  returned  to  his  ship  happy  in  the  thought,  that,  though  he  could  not 
regain  his  plundered  property,  the  thieves  at  least  would  be  punished. 


252  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

Decatur  crowded  on  all  sail,  and  set  off  in  pursuit  of  the  oppressor. 
Four  hours  later,  the  lookout  forward  reported  four  schooners  in  sight  off 
the  bow.  For  a  moment  the  captain  was  puzzled,  as  he  had  no  means 
of  knowing  which  was  the  guilty  privateer  ;  but,  after  brief  deliberation, 
he  determined  to  adopt  strategy.  The  rigging  of  his  vessel  was  slackened, 
the  yards  slewed  round,  and  every  attempt  made  to  transform  the  trim 
man-o'-war  into  a  shiftless  merchantman.  Then  the  helmsman  was  in 
structed  to  carefully  avoid  running  near  the  suspected  schooners.  The 
ruse  succeeded  admirably.  The  lookouts  in  the  tops  of  the  schooners 
reported  an  American  merchantman  in  sight,  but  making  attempts  to 
escape.  The  cupidity  of  the  Frenchmen  was  aroused.  In  the  "  Dela 
ware  "  they  saw  only  a  defenceless  ship,  from  which,  by  virtue  of  their 
strength,  they  could  take  whatever  plunder  they  desired.  From  the  decks 
of  the  "  Delaware,"  the  sailors  could  see  the  Frenchmen  shaking  out  sail 
after  sail ;  and  soon  one  schooner,  a  perfect  cloud  of  canvas,  took  the 
lead,  and  left  her  consorts  far  in  the  rear.  It  was  the  privateer  they  were 
after.  The  jackies  of  the  "  Delaware "  clambered  into  the  rigging,  and 
set  all  sail,  with  the  clumsiness  of  merchant-sailors ;  but,  though  the  ship 
spread  a  large  expanse  of  canvas,  she  was  making  but  little  progress,  for 
two  long  cables  dragged  in  the  water  astern,  holding  her  back.  The 
Frenchman  came  up  gallantly,  but  suddenly  discovered  the  ports  along 
the  side  of  the  "Delaware,"  and  concluded  he  had  caught  a  Tartar.  It 
was  too  late  to  escape  then;  for  the  "Delaware,"  coming  about,  had  the 
schooner  directly  under  her  guns,  and  the  Frenchman  had  no  course  left 
but  to  surrender.  The  privateer  proved  to  be  "  Le  Croyable,"  of  four 
teen  guns  and  seventy  men.  Her  captain  was  vastly  astounded  to  hear 
that  the  United  States  had  at  last  sent  out  cruisers  against  the  French, 
who  had  come  to  look  upon  Americans  as  their  legitimate  prey.  Keeping 
"  Le  Croyable "  alongside,  Decatur  ran  for  Philadelphia,  where  he  was 
received  with  unbounded  enthusiasm.  The  captured  ship  was  taken  into 
the  United  States  navy,  under  the  name  of  the  "Retaliation,"  and 
sent,  under  command  of  Lieut.  Bainbridge,  to  cruise  in  search  of  other 
privateers. 

But  the  career  of  the  "Retaliation"  under  the  American  flag  was 
neither  long  nor  glorious.  Ill  luck  seemed  to  attend  the  vessel  in  all  her 
cruises,  and  Bainbridge  wandered  up  and  down  the  high  seas  without 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  253 

getting  within  range  of  a  French  cruiser  or  privateer.  In  November, 
1798,  the  "  Retaliation "  was  cruising,  with  two  other  men-of-war,  in  the 
West  Indies,  not  far  from  Guadaloupe.  One  day  three  sails  were  made 
out  to  the  eastward,  and  two  more  to  the  westward.  Bainbridge  thpught 
that  at  last  his  opportunity  had  arrived ;  and  the  "  Retaliation "  set  off 
to  reconnoitre  the  strangers  on  the  eastward,  while  the  two  other  American 
ships  made  after  the  three  sails  in  the  opposite  direction.  As  Bainbridge 
gained  upon  his  chase,  he  concluded  from  their  appearance  that  they  were 
two  English  ships,  and  accordingly  threw  aside  all  caution,  and  sailed 
boldly  alongside.  Unluckily,  they  proved  to  be  hostile  French  cruisers; 
and,  when  the  discovery  was  made,  the  "  Retaliation "  was  well  within 
range.  Every  sail  was  set,  and  the  ship  put  before  the  wind,  to  escape 
from  the  enemy,  but  too  late.  The  leading  ship  of  the  enemy  was  a 
fine  frigate ;  and  she  rushed  through  the  water  after  the  fugitive,  like 
a  dolphin  after  a  flying-fish.  Soon  a  heavy  shot  from  one  of  the  frigate's 
bow-chasers  came  whizzing  by  the  "  Retaliation,'*  unpleasantly  reminding 
the  Americans  that  they  were  still  within  range,  and  their  adversaries 
carried  heavy  metal.  The  second  frigate  soon  opened  fire,  and  the  posi 
tion  of  the  "Retaliation"  became  hopeless.  Her  flag  was  unwillingly 
hauled  down,  and  the  vessel  became  again  the  property  of  its  original 
owners.  It  is  a  strange  coincidence,  that  this  ship  should  have  thus  been 
the  first  prize  of  both  Americans  and  French  in  the  war. 

The  Frenchmen  were  not  content  with  their  success  in  capturing  the 
"  Retaliation  : "  so,  while  one  frigate  stopped  to  secure  the  prize,  the  other 
passed  on  in  hot  chase  after  "The  Retaliation's"  two  former  consorts, 
the  "Montezuma"  and  "Norfolk."  Bainbridge  was  taken  aboard  the 
French  frigate  "  Volontaire,"  which  then  continued  her  course  in  the  wake 
of  her  consort,  the  "  Insurgente."  For  the  captured  American  captain 
on  the  deck  of  the  "Volontaire,"  the  chase  was  one  of  great  excitement. 
He  well  knew  that  the  two  stately  French  frigates  were  much  more  than 
a  match  for  the  flying  Americans;  and,  should  they  overhaul  the  chase, 
the  "Montezuma"  and  the  "Norfolk"  would  join  the  "Retaliation"  in 
French  captivity.  Racked  with  anxiety  he  paced  the  deck,  trying  in  vain 
not  to  perceive  that  the  pursuers  were  steadily  gaining,  and  chafing  under 
the  position  of  helplessness  in  which  he  found  himself.  But  an  oppor 
tunity  to  help  did  unexpectedly  present  itself.  The  French  captain,  after 


254  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

a   long   look   through    his    marine-glasses   at    the    flying    craft,    turned    to 
Bainbridge,  and  inquired,  — 

"  What  may  be  the  force  of  your  consorts,  captain  ? " 
Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  Bainbridge  responded, — 
"The  ship  carries  twenty-eight  twelve-pounders,  and  the  brig  twenty 
nines." 

The  Frenchman  was  astounded,  as  well  he  might  be ;  for  Bain- 
bridge's  answer  was  a  most  preposterous  falsehood,  nearly  doubling  the 
actual  armament  of  the  two  vessels.  An  eager  consultation  was  imme 
diately  held  by  the  officers  on  the  quarter-deck.  Bainbridge  looked  on 
anxiously,  and  was  delighted  with  the  success  of  his  ruse,  when  he  heard 
orders  for  the  hoisting  of  a  signal  which  should  call  back  the  frigate 
leading  in  the  chase.  The  signal  was  hoisted ;  and  the  "  Insurgente,'' 
obeying,  abandoned  the  chase,  and  returned.  Her  captain  was  indignant 
at  his  recall,  and  curious  to  know  the  cause  of  it.  When  told  of  Bain- 
bridge's  statement,  he  was  furious ;  for  his  ship  had  been  close  enough 
to  the  chase  to  see  that  the  Americans  were  small  craft,  utterly  unable  to 
cope  with  the  two  pursuing  frigates.  For  his  falsehood,  Bainbridge  was 
roundly  abused,  and  many  a  French  oath  was  hurled  at  his  head.  His 
action  was  indeed  inexcusable  by  the  rules  of  honor ;  and  the  utmost 
that  can  be  said  of  it  by  the  most  patriotic  American  is,  that  by  his 
falsehood  he  saved  two  good  ships  for  the  infant  navy  of  the  United 
States.  From  a  military  point  of  view,  however,  his  conduct  was  com 
mendable  ;  and  in  recognition  thereof,  on  his  release  from  captivity,  he 
was  made  commander  of  the  "  Norfolk,"  one  of  the  vessels  he  had  saved. 
France  and  the  United  States  were  now  actually  at  war,  although  no 
definite  declaration  of  war  had  been  made  by  either  party.  This  fact 
made  many  French  privateers  assume  an  injured  air,  on  being  captured 
by  United  States  ships,  and  complain  that  they  had  never  heard  of  any 
declaration  of  war.  With  a  Frenchman  of  this  sort,  Stephen  Decatui 
the  younger  had  an  experience  early  in  his  naval  career. 

This  occurred  in  February,  1799.  The  frigate  "United  States"  was 
cruising  near  Martinique  in  that  year,  and  to  her  young  Decatur  was  at- 
tached  as  a  sub-lieutenant.  One  morning  a  French  privateer  was  sighted, 
and  the  frigate  set  out  in  hot  pursuit.  The  privateer  took  the  alarm 
quickly,  and  crowded  on  all  sail,  until  her  long,  narrow  hull  slipped 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  255 

through  the  waves  like  a  fish.  The  breeze  was  fresh,  and  the  chase  an 
exciting  one ;  but  gradually  the  immense  spread  of  the  frigate's  canvas 
began  to  tell,  and  she  rapidly  overhauled  the  fugitive.  The  French 
captain  was  plucky,  and  even  desperate,  in  his  attempt  to  escape ;  for, 
seeing  that  he  was  about  to  be  overhauled,  he  resorted  to  the  expedient 
of  a  fox  chased  by  hounds,  and  doubled,  turning  short  to  windward,  and 
running  right  under  the  guns  of  the  frigate.  The  move  was  a  bold  one, 
and  might  well  have  succeeded,  had  it  not  been  for  the  good  marksman 
ship  of  a  gunner  on  the  frigate,  who  promptly  sent  a  twenty-four-pound 
shot  (the  only  one  fired  in  the  affair)  straight  through  the  hull  of  the 
privateer,  between  wind  and  water.  In  an  instant  all  was  confusion  on 
the  French  vessel.  The  water  poured  into  her  hold  through  the  hole 
cut  by  the  shot ;  and  the  hasty  lowering  of  her  sails,  and  the  frantic 
howls  for  succor  from  the  crew,  told  the  people  of  the  "  United  States  " 
that  their  chase  was  at  an  end.  The  boats  of  the  frigate  were  quickly 
lowered,  and  Decatur  went  in  one  as  officer  in  command.  When  he 
reached  the  sinking  ship,  he  found  a  scene  too  ludicrous  to  be  pathetic. 
Along  the  rail  of  the  vessel,  from  bow  to  stern,  the  Frenchmen  were 
perched  like  birds.  Many  had  stripped  off  all  their  clothes,  in  order  to 
be  prepared  to  swim  ;  and  from  all  arose  a  medley  of  plaintive  cries  for 
help,  and  curses  on  that  unlucky  shot.  By  skilful  management  of  the 
boats,  all  were  saved ;  and  it  happened  that  Decatur  pulled  into  his  own 
boat  the  captain  of  the  sinking  vessel. 

Brushing  the  salt  water  out  of  his  eyes,  this  worthy  expressed  great 
surprise  that  he  had  been  fired  upon  by  a  vessel  bearing  the  United 
States  flag. 

"Ees  eet  that  that  ees  a  sheep  of  les  fitats-Unis  ? "  he  inquired,  in 
the  broken  English  that  four  years  of  cruising  against  Americans  had 
enabled  him  to  pick  up. 

"  It  is,"  responded  Decatur. 

"  I  am  indeed  sairprised.  I  had  not  thought  that  les  fitats-Unis  had 
the  war  with  La  Republique  Frangaise." 

"No,  sir,"  responded  Decatur,  thoroughly  provoked;  "but  you  knew 
that  the  French  Republic  was  at  war  with  the  United  States,  that  you 
were  taking  our  merchant-vessels  every  day,  and  crowding  our  country 
men  into  prison  at  Basseterre  to  die  like  sheep." 


256  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


This  was  more  than  the  Frenchman  could  deny,  and  he  was  con 
strained  to  accept  his  capture  with  the  best  grace  possible. 

An  audacious,  but  clearly  illegal,  exploit  of  the  blue-jackets  in  this 
war,  was  the  cutting  out  and  capture  of  the  French  letter-of-marque 
vessel  "  Sandwich,"  as  she  lay  in  Port  Platte,  a  small  harbor  on  the 
Spanish  side  of  St.  Domingo.  Commodore  Talbot,  who  won  a  reputation 
for  daring  and  recklessness  in  the  Revolution,  was  cruising  about  on  the 
San  Domingo  station,  and  had  spent  some  weeks  in  monotonous  voyaging, 
without  an  opportunity  to  capture  a  single  prize.  Word  was  brought 
to  the  squadron,  that  in  the  little  harbor  of  Port  Platte  a  vessel  was 
taking  in  a  cargo  of  coffee.  From  the  description  of  the  vessel,  Com 
modore  Talbot  recognized  her  as  a  former  British  packet,  the  "Sand 
wich,"  now  sailing  under  French  letters  of  marque.  Her  known  speed 
and  seaworthy  qualities  made  her  too  valuable  a  prize  to  be  left  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy  ;  and  Talbot,  without  more  ado,  determined  to  cap 
ture  her.  The  first  difficulty  that  lay  in  the  way  was  the  fact  that  the 
vessel  was  under  the  protection  of  Spain,  a  neutral  power.  Talbot  was  no 
man  to  notice  so  purely  formal  an  obstacle.  He  growled  out  a  decided 
negative  to  all  hints  about  respecting  a  neutral  flag.  Spain  neutral, 
indeed !  She  might  claim  to  be  neutral,  but  her  Picaroons  were  too 
often  to  be  found  among  the  French  pirates  to  leave  any  respect  for 
Spain's  neutrality  in  the  mind  of  a  man  of  sense ;  and  the  "  Sandwich  " 
he  was  going  to  take,  and  on  his  own  responsibility.  This  silenced  all 
opposition. 

Having  arrived  at  the  determination  to  take  the  "  Sandwich,"  the  next 
problem  to  be  solved  was,  how  shall  she  be  taken  ?  Obviously  the  first 
step  was  to  make  a  careful  reconnoissance  of  the  ship  and  her  defences. 
To  Lieut.  Hull  of  the  "  Constitution,"  this  duty  was  assigned.  One  dark 
and  stormy  night  Mr.  Hull  took  one  of  the  frigate's  cutters,  and,  pulling 
into  the  harbor,  carefully  examined  the  situation.  On  his  return,  he 
reported  that  the  "  Sandwich "  was  stripped  of  her  rigging,  and  lay 
directly  under  the  guns  of  a  small  battery,  built  on  shore  for  her  pro 
tection.  To  sail  in  with  the  frigate,  and  capture  the  enemy  by  mere 
force  of  arms,  would  have  been  simple  enough ;  but  the  object  of  the 
Americans  was  to  take  the  ship  without  injuring  her,  in  order  that  she 
might  at  once  join  the  United  States  squadron.  Strategy  was  therefore 
necessary. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


257 


It  was  accordingly  determined  to  secure  an  American  merchant-vessel, 
that  could  enter  the  port,  and  run  alongside  the  "  Sandwich,"  without 
arousing  suspicion.  Luckily  at  that  very  moment  a  craft  turned  up  that 
filled  the  need  precisely.  This  was  the  American  sloop  "  Sally,"  a  battered, 

weather-beaten  little  craft,  that  had  for 
some  time  been  trading  in  the  West 
Indies,  and  by  her  very  insignificance 
had  escaped  capture  by  the  French.  She 
had  often  entered  and  cleared  from  Port 
Platte,  and  therefore  her  appearance  there 
would  create  no  suspicion. 

The  "  Sally  " 
was  accordingly 
chosen  to  bear 
the  sailors  on 
their  audacious 
expedition.  A 
rendezvous  hav 


ing  been  appoint 
ed,  the  sloop  met 


HULL  MAKES   A   RECONNOISSANCE. 


the  "Constitution"  far  out  at  sea;  and  a  large  body  of  blue -jackets 
and  marines  left  the  frigate,  and  took  quarters  on  the  clumsy  little 
merchantman,  which  then  laid  her  course  for  Port  Platte.  About  mid- 


258  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

night  the  lookouts  on  the  "  Sally "  saw  a  vessel's  lights  near  at  hand ; 
but,  beyond  reporting  to  the  officer  of  the  deck,  they  paid  no  heed  to 
their  neighbor.  Suddenly,  however,  out  of  the  darkness  came  a  bright 
flash  ;  and  the  hum  of  a  heavy  shot  in  the  air  above  the  "  Sally "  was 
followed  by  the  dull  report  of  a  cannon.  At  the  same  time  a  blue  light 
burned  on  the  deck  of  the  vessel  from  which  the  shot  proceeded,  showed 
her  to  be  a  powerful  frigate.  Then  ensued  a  few  moments  of  intense 
suspense  for  the  little  band  on  the  "  Sally."  Should  the  stranger  prove 
to  be  a  French  frigate,  all  was  lost ;  but  in  that  latitude  English  vessels 
were  common,  and  possibly  this  might  be  one.  Soon  the  regular  thump 
ing  of  oars  in  the  tholepins,  and  the  splashing  of  the  waves  against  an 
approaching  boat,  could  be  heard  ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  hail  came  from 
the  black  water  alongside,  and  the  dark  figure  of  a  man  standing  in  the 
stern-sheets  of  a  boat  was  seen.  A  rope  was  thrown  him,  by  the  aid  of 
which  he  nimbly  clambered  aboard.  An  involuntary  murmur  of  relief 
arose  from  the  party  on  the  "  Sally,"  as  by  the  dim  light  of  the  lanterns 
they  saw  that  the  officer  wore  a  British  uniform.  The  officer  himself 
could  not  repress  a  start  and  exclamation  of  surprise  as  he  saw  a  band 
of  officers  in  naval  uniform,  and  a  large  body  of  blue-jackets  and  marines, 
on  the  vessel  which  he  expected  to  find  manned  by  a  half-dozen  lanky 
Yankees,  commanded  by  a  down-east  "skipper." 

"  Why,  what  ship's  this  ? "  he  exclaimed  in  surprise,  as  he  looked 
upon  the  armed  men  about  him.  Lieut.  Hull,  who  was  in  command, 
explained  to  him  the  situation,  and  told  him  of  the  adventure  that  was 
being  attempted.  The  officer  seemed  much  disappointed,  and  told  Mr, 
Hull  that  the  British  frigate  was  standing  about  outside  the  harbor,  to 
capture  the  "  Sandwich "  as  she  came  out ;  but  the  idea  of  so  boldly 
setting  at  naught  the  principles  of  neutrality  had  not  occurred  to  them. 
After  a  few  minutes'  conversation,  the  visitor  returned  to  his  ship,  and 
the  "  Sally"  proceeded  on  her  errand.  She  reached  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor  of  Port  Platte  in  the  morning,  and  sailed  boldly  in.  Most  of 
the  crew  and  the  marines  were  hidden  beneath  the  bulwarks,  or  sent 
below ;  so  that  the  people  on  the  "  Sandwich "  gave  but  a  glance  to  the 
approaching  vessel,  until  she  ran  so  close  to  their  vessel's  bows  that 
they  feared  an  accident. 

"Look  out  there,  or  you'll  run  foul  of  us!"  shouted  a  mate  from  the 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  259 

deck  of  the  "  Sandwich ;  and,  as  if  his  cry  was  a  signal,  the  helm  of 
the  "Sally"  was  put  down,  the  vessel  ranged  up  alongside,  and  in  an 
instant  a  torrent  of  armed  men  poured  over  the  sides  of  the  surprised 
Frenchman,  and  drove  the  crew  below.  There  was  no  resistance.  The 
ship  was  captured  in  five  minutes.  The  marines  of  the  expedition  had 
been  sent  ashore  to  spike  the  guns  of  the  battery,  and  their  work  was 
performed  with  equal  promptitude.  Then  all  hands  set  to  work  rigging 
the  captured  vessel,  and  getting  her  ready  for  sea.  On  the  shore  the 
people  were  in  the  greatest  excitement,  beating  drums,  parading  the  few 
militia,  and  threatening  dire  revenge  in  the  name  of  outraged  Spain. 
But  the  captors  of  the  vessel  paid  but  little  attention  to  their  enemies ; 
and  by  sunset  the  "Sandwich,"  with  all  sails  set,  left  the  harbor,  and 
joined  the  United  States  squadron. 

The  news  of  this  achievement,  lawless  as  it  was,  evoked  great  enthu 
siasm  in  the  United  States.  A  nation's  conscience  is  elastic  ;  and  the 
people  praised  the  heroes  of  the  "  Sandwich  "  episode,  much  as  sixty-five 
years  later  they  commended  the  commander  of  the  "  Wachuset "  for 
running  down  and  capturing  the  Confederate  ship  "Florida,"  which  was 
relying  upon  the  protection  of  a  neutral  port  in  Brazil.  Yet  in  1814, 
when  two  British  frigates  attacked  and  captured  the  "  Essex "  in  the 
harbor  of  Rio  Janeiro,  the  good  people  of  the  United  States  were  loud 
in  their  denunciations  of  the  treachery  of  a  commander  who  would  so 
abuse  the  protection  of  a  neutral  nation.  Such  inconsistencies  are  only 
too  common  in  the  history  of  nations.  In  the  end,  however,  the  affair 
of  the  "Sandwich"  terminated  disastrously  for  the  bold  adventurers;  for 
the  protests  of  Spain  were  too  forcible  to  be  disregarded,  and  the  prize- 
money  of  all  concerned  in  the  exploit  was  confiscated  to  pay  the  damages 
awarded  the  injured  party. 

Not  all  the  successes  of  the  United  States  navy  in  the  war  with 
France  were,  like  those  we  have  related,  dependent  upon  the  speed 
rather  than  the  fighting  qualities  of  our  ships.  Not  many  months  had 
passed,  when  two  representative  ships  of  the  warring  nations  met,  and 
tried  conclusions  at  the  mouths  of  their  cannon.  It  was  on  the  Qth  of 
February  that  the  "Constellation,"  one  of  the  new  American  frigates,  was 
cruising  on  her  station  in  the  West  Indies,  when  her  lookout  reported  a 
large  ship  some  miles  to  leeward.  The  frigate  at  once  ran  down  upon 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


the  stranger,  which  hoisted  American  colors.  Among  ships  of  the  same 
navy  it  is  customary  to  have  private  signals  of  recognition  ;  and  Commo 
dore  Truxton,  who  commanded  the  "  Constellation,"  set  his  signal,  and 
awaited  the  answer.  But  no  answer  came  ;  and  the  stranger,  evidently 
considering  further  disguise  impossible,  boldly  set  French  colors,  and 
fired  a  gun  to  windward  by  way  of  a  challenge. 

On  the  "  Constellation "  the  challenge  aroused  universal  enthusiasm. 
For  the  first  time  since  the  Revolution,  the  gallant  defenders  of  the 
stars  and  stripes  were  to  have  an  opportunity  to  try  their  strength  with 
a  hostile  man-of-war.  The  enemy  seemed  no  less  ready  for  the  conflict, 
and  waited  gallantly  for  the  "  Constellation "  to  come  down  to  closer 
quarters.  From  both  ships  came  the  roll  of  the  drums  and  the  shrill 
pipings  of  the  bo's'n's  whistle,  as  the  men  were  called  to  quarters.  Then 
all  became  still,  and  the  two  frigates  bore  down  upon  each  other.  Neither 
antagonist  was  hasty  about  opening  fire,  and  the  report  of  the  first  gun 
came  from  the  Yankee  when  she  had  come  into  point-blank  range.  Then 
began  the  thunderous  broadsides,  that  soon  enveloped  the  hulls  of  the 
two  ships  in  dense  gray  smoke;  so  that,  to  an  observer  at  a  little  dis 
tance,  all  that  could  be  seen  of  the  fight  was  the  tapering  masts  and 
yard-arms,  above  the  smoke,  crowded  with  sailors  repairing  damages,  and 
nimble  young  midshipmen  shrilly  ordering  about  the  grizzled  seamen, 
and  now  and  again  taking  a  crack  at  the  enemy  with  pistol  or  musket, 
by  way  of  recreation.  In  the  foretop  of  the  "  Constellation "  was  sta 
tioned  young  David  Porter,  who  in  that  trying  moment  showed  the 
result  of  his  hard  schooling  in  the  merchant-service,  of  which  we  have 
spoken.  By  the  rapid  fire  of  the  enemy,  the  foretopmast  was  badly  cut, 
and  there  was  great  danger  that  it  might  go  by  the  board.  Porter  hailed 
the  deck  several  times  for  instructions,  but,  finding  that  his  voice  could 
not  be  heard  above  the  roar  of  battle,  determined  to  act  upon  his  own 
responsibility,  and  accordingly  cut  away  the  sails,  lowered  the  yards, 
and,  by  relieving  the  injured  spar  of  all  strain,  prevented  its  falling.  In 
the  mean  time  the  battle  raged  fiercely  below.  The  American  frigate 
was  more  powerful  in  her  armament,  and  better  handled,  than  the  French 
man.  Her  guns  were  handled  with  deliberation,  and  the  aim  of  the  gun 
ners  was  sure  and  deadly  ;  while  the  shot  from  the  enemy  went  hurtling 
through  the  rigging  of  the  "  Constellation,"  doing  but  little  damage.  The 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF   1812.  261 

decks  of  the  Frenchman  were  covered  with  dead  and  wounded,  and  at 
last  two  raking  broadsides  from  the  American  frigate  ended  the  con 
flict.  When  the  vanquished  ship  was  boarded,  she  proved  to  be  the 
"  Insurgente,"  the  same  frigate  that  had  captured  the  "  Retaliation  "  some 
months  before.  Her  loss  in  this  engagement  amounted  to  twenty-nine 
killed  and  forty-one  wounded,  while  the  cock-pit  of  the  "Constellation" 
was  tenanted  by  but  three  wounded  men  ;  and  but  one  American  had 
lost  his  life,  he  having  been  killed  by  an  officer,  for  cowardice.  Both 
ships  were  badly  cut  up  in  the  engagement. 

The  news  of  this  victory  was  received  with  great  rejoicing  in  the 
United  States,  and  was  celebrated  with  cannon-firing  and  the  ringing  of 
bells.  At  Boston,  the  fourth  Sunday  in  March  was  set  for  a  day  of  gen 
eral  rejoicing;  and  on  that  day  huge  crowds  gathered  in  State  Street, 
and  after  salutes  had  been  fired,  and  the  city's  bells  pealed,  the  people, 
at  a  given  signal,  joined  in  three  mighty  cheers,  that  fairly  shook  the 
surrounding  houses,  for  Truxton,  the  "Constellation,"  the  blue-jackets, 
and  the  success  of  the  wooden  walls  of  America. 

Even  after  the  "Insurgente"  had  struck  her  flag,  the  tars  of  the 
"  Constellation "  found  they  had  an  elephant  on  their  hands.  The  work 
of  transferring  the  prisoners  was  begun,  and  actively  prosecuted ;  but,  when 
night  fell,  there  were  still  nearly  two  hundred  Frenchmen  on  the  prize. 
The  wind  was  rising  fast,  and  the  long  rollers  of  the  Atlantic  were  being- 
lashed  into  foaming  breakers  by  the  rising  gale.  It  was  hazardous  for 
the  two  vessels  to  continue  near  each  other;  and  Lieutenant  Rodgers, 
with  Midshipman  Porter  and  eleven  men,  was  detailed  to  take  charge 
of  the  prize,  and  bring  her  into  port.  When  the  officers  boarded  the 
prize,  they  found  that  they  had  indeed  a  desperate  undertaking  before 
them.  It  was  difficult  enough  for  thirteen  men  to  handle  the  great  ship, 
without  having  to  keep  in  subjection  one  hundred  and  seventy-three  cap 
tives.  To  add  to  the  danger,  the  gratings  had  been  thrown  overboard, 
and  there  was  no  way  of  confining  the  captives  in  the  hold.  A  careful 
search  for  handcuffs  resulted  only  in  failure.  But  Rodgers  was  a  man 
of  decision,  and  Porter,  though  but  a  boy,  was  bold  and  determined ;  and 
between  them  they  solved  the  problem.  The  prisoners  were  ordered 
below  ;  and  a  sentinel  was  placed  at  each  hatchway,  with  orders  to  shoot 
the  first  man  who  should  attempt  to  come  on  deck.  Howitzers  loaded 


262  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


with  grape  were  trained  upon  the  hatchway,  for  use  in  case  of  an  organ- 
ized  movement  of  the  prisoners.  For  three  days  the  officers  sustained 
this  fearful  strain,  without  a  moment's  sleep ;  but  their  labors  were  finally 
crowned  by  successfully  bringing  the  ship  and  prisoners  into  St.  Kitts. 

In  the  second  pitched  battle  of  the  war,  the  "  Constellation  "  was  again 
the  American  combatant ;  but  this  time,  though  the  fight  was  a  glorious 
one,  it  did  not  terminate  so  fortunately  for  the  American  ship.  It  was 
on  the  ist  of  February,  1800,  that  the  gallant  frigate,  under  the  same 
commander,  was  cruising  about  her  old  hunting-grounds,  near  Guadaloupe. 
A  sail  was  sighted,  which,  after  a  careful  examination  through  his  marine- 
glass,  Commodore  Truxton  pronounced  to  be  an  English  merchantman. 
As  an  invitation  to  the  stranger  to  approach,  English  colors  were  hoisted 
on  the  "  Constellation,"  but  had  only  the  effect  of  causing  the  stranger 
to  sheer  off  ;  for  she  was,  indeed,  a  French  war-vessel.  Perplexed  by  the 
actions  of  the  mysterious  ship,  the  "Constellation"  gave  chase,  and  soon 
came  near  enough  to  see  that  she  had  caught  a  Tartar ;  for  the  vessel  was 
the  French  frigate  "  La  Vengeance,"  mounting  fifty-two  guns.  Although 
a  more  powerful  vessel  than  the  American,  she  continued  her  flight ;  while 
the  gallant  Truxton,  caring  nothing  for  the  odds  against  him,  kept  on  in 
hot  pursuit.  All  the  remainder  of  that  day,  and  until  noon  of  the  next, 
the  chase  continued,  with  but  little  change  in  the  position  of  the  ships. 
"A  stern  chase  is  a  long  chase,"  thought  the  jackies  on  the  "Constella 
tion  ; "  but  they  were  not  discouraged,  and  only  crowded  on  the  more  sail. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day,  the  American  began  to  gain  rapidly ; 
and  by  eight  at  night  the  two  ships  were  within  speaking  distance  of 
each  other.  Truxton  mounted  the  rail,  and  shouted  through  a  speaking- 
trumpet,  "  What  ship  is  that  ? "  The  only  answer  was  a  shot  from  the 
stern-port  of  the  Frenchman,  and  the  fight  was  opened. 

It  was  then  growing  dark,  though  the  faint  glow  of  the  long  tropic 
twilight  still  lingered  on  the  western  horizon.  Above  the  towering  masts 
of  the  two  great  frigates,  the  stars  gleamed  with  a  brilliancy  seldom 
seen  in  more  northern  latitudes.  As  the  ships  rushed  through  the  water, 
the  waves  broke  against  the  bows,  and  fell  back  in  masses  of  phosphor 
escent  light ;  while  the  wakes  of  the  vessels  could  be  traced  far  back 
into  the  darkness,  —  two  parallel  paths  of  light,  that  glowed  and  sparkled 
like  the  milky  way  that  spanned  the  starry  sky  above. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  263 

Side  by  side  the  two  frigates  ploughed  through  the  water.  The  creak 
ing  of  their  cordage,  and  the  rushing  of  the  wind  through  the  rigging, 
mingled  with  the  thunder  of  the  cannonade,  which,  though  slow,  and 
made  up  of  single  reports,  when  the  "Constellation"  was  confined  to 
the  use  of  her  bow-chasers,  soon  rose  to  thunderous  broadsides  as  the 
two  ships  came  side  to  side.  As  the  twilight  died  away,  the  two  con 
testants  were  enveloped  in  almost  total  darkness,  save  for  the  fitful  flashes 
of  the  cannon,  and  the  red  glare  of  the  battle-lanterns  that  hung  from 
the  shrouds.  The  gunners  had  for  a  target  nothing  but  a  black,  shape 
less  mass,  that  could  be  seen  rushing  through  the  waves  some  hundreds 
of  yards  away.  But  this  did  not  prevent  fearful  execution  being  done  on 
both  sides.  For  five  hours  the  two  ships  kept  up  the  running  fight. 
The  ponderous  eighteen  and  forty-two  pound  shot  of  the  enemy  crashed 
into  the  "  Constellation,"  or  swept  her  decks,  doing  dreadful  damage.  The 
deck  was  strewn  with  dead  and  dying  men,  and  the  surgeons  down  in 
the  cock-pit  soon  had  their  tables  full  of  moaning  sufferers.  No  one  could 
tell  what  might  be  the  condition  of  "  La  Vengeance ; "  but  her  regular 
fire  told  that  she  was  in  no  wise  disabled.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  the  sound  of  her  guns  seemed  to  be  more  distant ;  and  by  the  flash 
of  the  cannon  it  was  seen  that  she  was  drawing  out  of  the  fight.  The 
Americans  cheered  lustily,  and  Truxton  ordered  that  his  ship  be  braced 
up  in  chase. 

But  the  fire  of  the  enemy  had  been  rapid  and  well  directed  ;  and  now, 
at  this  critical  moment,  its  results  were  to  rob  the  "  Constellation "  of 
her  victory.  As  the  ships  were  brought  about,  to  follow  in  the  track 
of  the  flying  "  Vengeance,"  an  officer  came  rushing  to  the  quarter-deck, 
and  reported  that  all  the  shrouds  and  braces  of  the  foremast  had  been 
shot  away,  and  the  mast  was  in  momentary  danger  of  falling.  The  rigging 
had  been  so  literally  cut  in  pieces  by  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  that  splicing 
was  out  of  the  question;  but  Truxton,  in  the  hope  of  saving  his  mast, 
called  all  hands  from  the  guns,  and  the  fire  of  the  "  Constellation " 
stopped. 

Up  in  the  foretop  was  stationed  Midshipman  Jarvis,  with  a  dozen  or 
more  of  jackies,  whose  duty  it  was  to  mend  the  cordage  of  the  topmast, 
and  to  keep  up  a  musketry  fire  upon  the  enemy.  Long  before  the  officer 
of  the  deck  had  reported  the  danger  of  the  foremast,  one  of  the  topmen 
bad  told  Jarvis,  who  was  but  a  lad,  that  the  mast  was  likely  ':o  fall. 


264  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

"Ay,  ay,  my  lad,"  responded  the  plucky  young  officer;  "but  our  place 
is  here,  and  we  must  go  with  it." 

The  sailors  on  the  deck  below  worked  manfully :  but,  notwithstanding 
all  their  efforts,  the  mast  soon  went  by  the  board ;  and  Jarvis  and  his 
brave  comrades  were  thrown  far  out  into  the  black  water,  never  to  be 
seen  again. 

The  fall  of  the  foremast  ended  the  battle  for  the  "Constellation." 
Helpless,  and  cumbered  by  the  wreck,  she  tossed  about  on  the  watery 
while  her  foe  made  good  her  escape.  .What  might  have  been  the  outcome 
of  the  conflict,  had  it  continued,  it  is  impossible  to  tell.  "La  Vengeance" 
carried  heavier  metal  and  a  larger  crew  than  the  American  frigate  ;  and 
Truxton,  with  all  his  dash,  found  no  mean  adversary  in  Capt.  Pitot.  Yet 
the  condition  of  the  French  ship  when  she  came  into  port  at  Curagoa 
showed  that  the  fire  of  the  Yankee  gunners  had  been  rapid  and  accurate. 
Fifty  of  the  enemy  were  killed,  and  one  hundred  and  ten  wounded ; 
while,  of  the  Americans,  only  thirty-nine  appeared  on  the  lists  of  killed 
and  wounded.  It  was  said  at  the  time,  that  Capt.  Pitot  reported  having 
struck  his  flag  three  times  ;  hoisting  it  again,  on  finding  that  in  the 
darkness  the  "  Constellation "  took  no  notice  of  the  surrender.  But  this 
seems,  on  the  face  of  it,  improbable ;  and  the  action  can  hardly  be 
awarded  to  either  ship,  although  the  gallantry  shown  on  either  side  was 
enough  to  win  a  victory. 

It  may  well  be  imagined  that  this  brilliant  action,  together  with  the 
capture  of  "  L'Insurgente,"  made  the  "Constellation"  the  most  popular 
ship  of  the  navy ;  a  place  which  she  held  until  the  stirring  events  of 
the  war  with  England  pushed  the  "  Constitution  "  so  far  to  the  front,  that 
even  now,  when  she  lies  dismantled  and  rotting  at  the  Brooklyn  navy- 
yard,  Americans  still  think  of  "  Old  Ironsides  "  as  the  typical  ship  of  our 
once  glorious  navy. 

The  actions  between  the  "Constellation"  and  the  "Vengeance"  and 
"  Insurgente "  were  the  chief  contests  between  regularly  commissioned 
ships  of  the  two  nations  in  the  war  with  France.  But  the  West  Indies 
were  filled  with  privateers  and  semi-piratical  craft,  with  which  the  navy 
waged  a  ceaseless  warfare,  which  well  prepared  the  blue-jackets  for  the 
graver  struggle  which  was  yet  to  come  with  Great  Britain.  The  half-savage 
population  of  the  French  islands  was  a  fruitful  source  of  trouble  to  the 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  265 


American  seaman.  These  gentry,  known  as  Picaroons,  seemed  to  have 
a  natural  inclination  for  piracy;  and  the  unlucky  merchant-captain  who 
should  come  to  anchor,  or  be  becalmed,  near  one  of  the  islands,  was  sure 
to  see  his  vessel  boarded,  and  his  cargo  plundered,  by  a  lawless  horde  of 
Frenchmen  and  mulattoes,  whose  dialect  was  an  unmusical  combination 
of  French  and  African  tongues.  The  custom  of  the  Picaroons  was  to 
do  their  cruising  in  huge  barges  propelled  by  sweeps.  With  these  they 
would  often  cut  out  a  merchant-vessel  from  beneath  the  guns  of  a  protect 
ing  man-of-war,  and  tow  her  off  to  be  plundered  at  leisure.  Occasionally, 
however,  their  well-laid  plans  failed  in  the  execution. 

One  of  the  most  noted  of  these  occasions  was  the  repulse  of  ten 
Picaroon  barges  that  attacked  the  United  States  topsail  schooner  "  Experi 
ment,"  and  a  fleet  of  merchantmen  under  her  charge.  The  "  Experiment," 
with  her  convoy,  was  lying  becalmed  in  the  Bight  of  Leogane,  in  the 
island  of  San  Domingo.  Not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring ;  and  the  vessels, 
drifting  about  at  the  mercy  of  the  currents,  soon  became  widely  separated 
and  were  an  easy  prey  for  the  hordes  of  Picaroons  that  swarmed  in  that 
region.  In  no  way  could  the  "  Experiment "  secure  a  position  which 
would  enable  her  to  protect  all  the  merchantmen.  In  this  dilemma  it 
was  determined  to  disguise  the  war-vessel,  in  the  hopes  that  the  pirates, 
taking  her  for  a  merchantman,  would  attack  her  first.  This  was  done ; 
and,  as  luck  would  have  it,  the  Picaroons  fell  into  the  trap. 

Although  not  the  captain  of  -the  ship,  Lieut.  David  Porter  was  in 
command  on  this  occasion ;  and,  on  hearing  that  ten  Picaroon  barges 
with  swivels  in  the  bows,  and  crews  of  forty  men  each,  were  approaching, 
he  sent  his  crew  to  quarters,  and  prepared  for  a  desperate  resistance. 
Onward  over  the  smooth  waters  came  the  huge  barges,  each  with  its 
twenty-six  oars,  looking  like  a  mighty  centipede.  On  the  ship  every  thing 
was  quiet,  as  the  jackies  stood  to  their  guns,  with  the  prospect  of  a 
deadly  struggle  before  them.  Should  the  barges  get  to  close  quarters, 
and  surround  the  schooner,  no  earthly  power  could  prevent  their  boarding, 
when  their  numbers  would  surely  bring  them  success.  But  the  painful 
pause  before  the  battle  was  not  long.  Suddenly  Porter,  ever  on  the  alert, 
cried  out  to  fire.  From  every  gun  that  could  be  brought  to  bear,  a 
storm  of  grape  and  canister  was  rained  upon  the  advancing  boats ;  and 
the  yells  that  went  up  from  the  astounded  Picaroons  told  of  the  deadly 


266  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

work  done  in  the  crowded  boats.  For  a  moment,  the  fleet  of  barges 
fell  into  confusion  ;  some  retreating,  some  advancing,  and  others  drifting 
about  helpless.  Although  the  murderous  fire  was  kept  up,  the  pirates 
formed  again,  and  attempted  to  get  alongside,  but  were  repeatedly  beaten 
back.  With  musketry  and  swivels  they  attempted  to  answer  the  fire  of 
the  Americans;  but  with  little  effect,  for  the  crew  of  the  "Experiment" 
kept  close  under  the  bulwarks.  Men  were  precious  then,  and  Porter 
would  not  let  one  expose  himself  unnecessarily ;  but  he  himself,  from 
his  prominent  post  of  observation,  was  an  easy  mark,  and  a  Picaroon's 
bullet  soon  lodged  in  his  shoulder.  Notwithstanding  the  painful  wound, 
he  never  left  his  post.  The  unexpected  opposition  only  maddened  the 
Picaroons,  and  they  made  desperate  attempts  to  get  alongside ;  but  to  no 
avail.  Now  the  stern  and  now  the  bow  of  the  "  Experiment "  was  chosen 
as  the  point  of  attack ;  but  still  the  rapid  fire  of  the  jackies  beat  the 
pirates  back. 

On  the  low-lying  shores  of  the  islands,  some  hundreds  more  of  the 
Picaroons  had  gathered  to  watch  the  conflict ;  and,  as  the  boats  became 
short-handed  from  the  carnage,  they  put  back  to  the  shore,  and  returned 
to  the  fight  fully  re-enforced.  The  bodies  of  the  dead  were  thrown  over 
board  without  ceremony,  and  soon  attracted  great  schools  of  the  fierce 
sharks  that  abound  in  the  waters  of  the  tropics.  Then  a  new  horror 
was  added  to  the  scene.  At  a  moment  when  the  barges  wavered  and 
floated  for  a  moment  without  motion,  Porter  ordered  his  gunners  to  load 
with  solid  shot.  Two  or  three  broadsides  rang  out ;  and,  when  the  smoke 
cleared  away,  two  barges  were  seen  to  be  sinking.  The  affrighted  crews 
bent  to  their  oars,  and  strained  every  muscle  to  reach  the  shore  ;  but 
while  yet  in  deep  water,  the  barges  sunk,  and  the  Picaroons  were  left 
floundering  in  the  sea.  All  struck  out  manfully  for  the  shore ;  but  sud 
denly  one  sprung  half  from  the  water,  and  with  a  horrid  yell  sunk  from 
sight.  One  after  another  disappeared  in  the  same  way ;  for  the  sharks 
had  tasted  blood,  and  were  not  to  be  appeased.  For  seven  hours  the 
conflict  raged  fiercely;  but  at  last  the  Picaroons  confessed  themselves 
beaten,  and  sullenly  relinquished  their  attacks  upon  the  "Experiment." 
But  they  were  not  to  be  wholly  robbed  of  their  plunder ;  and  two 
merchant-vessels  fell  a  prey  to  their  piratical  violence,  before  a  breeze, 
springing  up,  enabled  the  squadron  to  escape. 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   1812.  267 

Before  the  year  was  over,  the  Picaroons  had  another  serious  defeat  to 
mourn  over;  and  on  this  second  occasion  they  were  well  punished  for 
their  many  piracies.  The  "  Boston,"  a  twenty-eight-gun  ship,  was  con 
voying  a  merchant-brig  to  Port  au  Prince,  when  the  lookout  discovered 
nine  large  barges  skulking  along  the  shore,  ready  to  pounce  upon  the  two 
vessels  when  a  favorable  moment  should  arrive.  Porter  was  again  in  com 
mand.  His  tactics  were  at  once  determined  upon ;  and  the  ports  of  the 
"Boston"  were  closed,  and  the  ship  thoroughly  disguised.  The  Picaroons 
were  deceived  sufficiently  to  make  a  dash  upon  the  two  ships,  and  approach 
boldly  within  easy  gun-shot ;  then,  discovering  their  mistake,  they  turned 
and  fled  in  panic.  This  time  no  calm  hampered  the  ship-of-war ;  and,  making 
all  sail,  she  dashed  into  their  midst.  For  two  hours  she  kept  within  easy 
range  of  the  barges ;  and  her  gunners,  working  deliberately,  did  fearful 
execution  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  and  sunk  three  barges  before  the 
wretched  fugitives  could  reach  the  shore.  After  dealing  out  this  summary 
justice,  the  "Boston"  continued  her  voyage,  and,  after  leaving  her  convoy 
in  the  port  of  her  destination,  began  a  cruise  about  the  islands  and  the 
Spanish  Main.  In  the  course  of  this  cruise  she  met  the  French  corvette 
"Le  Berceau,"  which  struck  after  a  plucky  action  of  two  hours.  The 
Frenchman  was  badly  cut  up  in  hull  and  rigging,  and  shortly  after  the 
surrender  her  fore  and  main  masts  went  by  the  board.  The  "Boston" 
was  but  little  injured,  and  took  her  prize  safely  into  port. 

After  this  the  fighting  was  chiefly  confined  to  short,  sharp  affrays 
between  the  smaller  United  States  ships  and  the  French  privateers,  which 
were  generally  good  sailers  and  well  manned,  although  deficient  in  metal. 
The  great  frigates  like  the  "Constellation"  found  no  more  adversaries 
worthy  of  their  fighting  qualities,  and  only  the  sloops  and  topsail-schooners 
gave  their  crews  a  chance  to  smell  gunpowder.  Some  of  these  smaller 
actions,  however,  were  sharp  and  gallant,  although  their  details  have  not 
been  preserved  like  those  of  the  famous  naval  duels. 

The  "Experiment,"  after  her  adventure  with  the  Picaroons,  fought 
two  gallant  battles,  and  was  successful  in  each,  although  the  second  for 
a  time  threatened  to  lead  to  international  difficulties.  While  cruising  on 
her  station,  the  vessel  made  two  sail,  which,  as  they  came  nearer,  proved 
to  be  a  brig  of  eighteen  guns  and  a  three-masted  schooner  of  twenty 

guns,  both  flying  the  French  tricolor,  and  both  intent  on  mischief.     The 
10 


268  BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 

American  fled,  but  laid  her  course  in  such  a  way  as  to  separate  the  two 
pursuers.  When  night  had  fallen,  Lieut.-Commander  Stewart,  who  com 
manded  the  "  Experiment,"  saw  that  the  enemy's  forces  were  divided  by 
about  a  league  of  green  water,  and  at  once  determined  to  strike  a  blow. 
Doubling  on  his  course,  he  ran  his  vessel  alongside  the  schooner,  and 
poured  in  two  or  three  broadsides  with  such  rapidity  and  haste  that  the 
Frenchman  struck  before  his  consort  could  come  to  his  aid.  Hastily 
throwing  Lieut.  Porter  and  a  prize-crew  aboard  the  prize,  Stewart  dashed 
off  after  the  brig,  which  fled  incontinently,  and  proved  too  good  a  sailer 
to  be  overtaken.  Pure  audacity  had  carried  the  day  for  the  "  Experi 
ment,"  for  the  brig  was  powerful  enough  to  have  blown  her  pursuer  to 
b-ts  in  a  short  engagement. 

The  second  exploit  of  the  •'  Experiment "  was  no  less  gallant  than 
this,  but  in  the  end  proved  far  less  satisfactory.  Late  in  a  summer's 
afternoon  a  suspicious  sail  was  made ;  and  the  chase,  begun  at  once,  had 
continued  until  nightfall.  When  darkness  settled  over  the  ocean,  Stewart 
calculated  the  course  laid  by  the  stranger,  and  ordered  his  helmsman 
to  keep  the  ship  on  that  course  until  midnight,  when,  if  the  fugitive  was 
not  overhauled,  the  chase  would  be  abandoned.  Just  before  midnight  a 
sail  was  seen  near  by  and  to  windward.  The  men  were  sent  to  quarters  ; 
and  with  guns  shotted,  and  battle-lanterns  burning,  the  "Experiment" 
r?.n  up  under  the  stranger's  lee,  and  hailed.  No  answer  was  returned. 
Perplexed  and  irritated,  Stewart  ordered  a  shot  fired  into  the  stranger, 
which  was  no  sooner  done  than  a  broadside  was  returned,  which  made 
the  schooner  reel.  Both  vessels  were  then  plunged  into  conflict,  though 
neither  knew  the  name  or  nationality  of  the  opponent.  For  a  time  the 
"  Experiment "  was  handicapped  by  the  heavy  wind,  which  laid  her  over 
so  far  that  her  guns  were  elevated  skyward,  and  her  shot  whistled  through 
the  enemy's  tops.  To  obviate  this,  planks  were  thrust  under  the  breeches 
of  the  guns,  until  at  last  the  proper  range  was  secured,  when  an  active 
cannonade  soon  forced  the  stranger  to  strike.  Lieut.  Porter  was  sent 
to  take  possession  of  the  prize  ;  but  the  report  he  brought  back  put  all 
thought  of  prize-money  out  of  the  minds  of  the  victors,  for  the  stranger 
was  a  Bermudian  privateer,  flying  the  British  flag,  and  under  the  protec 
tion  of  a  nation  with  which  the  United  States  was  at  peace.  The  fault 
}ay  with  the  privateers  for  not  responding  to  the  hail,  but  the  Americans 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1811.  269 

did  all  in  their  power  to  repair  the  damage  done.  All  the  next  day  tfrey 
lay  by  their  vanquished  adversary,  and  the  sailors  of  two  ships  worked 
side  by  side  in  patching  up  the  injuries  done  by  the  shot.  By  night  the 
privateer  was  able  to  continue  her  cruise,  resolving,  doubtless,  to  avoid 
future  conflicts  with  the  ships  of  the  American  navy. 

But  to  enter  into  the  details  of  each  of  the  naval  duels  of  the  French 
war  of  1798,  would  require  a  volume  devoted  exclusively  to  its  considera 
tion.  Although  there  was  never  a  declaration  of  war  between  the  two 
countries,  yet  the  warfare  on  the  ocean  was  earnest,  and  even  desperate. 
Both  nations  went  to  work  with  a  will,  and  the  results  were  of  incalcu 
lable  benefit  to  the  then  pygmy  navy  of  the  United  States.  In  their 
newspapers  the  Americans  read  with  wonder  and  pride  of  the  successes 
of  their  new  vessels  and  young  sailors,  against  the  trained  seamen  and 
best  frigates  of  France.  When  the  war  closed,  the  country  rang  with  the 
praises  of  the  blue-jackets.  Indeed,  a  record  of  sixty-four  French  vessels 
captured,  besides  many  American  vessels  which  were  recaptured  from 
their  captors,  was  enough  to  arouse  feelings  of  pride  throughout  the 
nation ;  and  the  celerity  with  which  France  seized  upon  the  proposal 
for  peace  showed  well  the  reputation  which  our  navy  had  gained  beyond 
the  ocean.  For  months  after  the  peace  was  signed,  the  names  of  Bain- 
bridge,  Truxton,  Stewart,  and  Talbot  were  household  words  throughout 
the  nation  ;  and  the  deeds  of  the  gallant  ships  along  the  Spanish  Main 
were  the  favorite  stories  of  the  boys  of  the  land.  Three  of  the  oaken 
veterans,  however,  never  came  home;  but  against  their  names  must  be  put 
the  saddest  of  all  naval  records  :  foundered  at  sea.  The  captured  "  Insur- 
gente,"  the  "Saratoga,"  and  the  "Pickering"  simply  vanished  from  the 
ocean.  Over  fourscore  years  have  passed  ;  and  of  them,  and  the  gallant 
lads  that  manned  them,  nothing  has  ever  been  known.  Whether  they 
perished  by  the  fury  of  the  tropical  typhoon,  whether  a  midnight  col 
lision  sent  them  suddenly  to  the  bottom,  or  whether  the  ships  were 
destroyed  and  the  crews  murdered  by  the  piratical  desperadoes  of  the 
West  Indies,  can  never  be  known.  Somewhere  on  the  coral-strewn  bea 
of  the  blue  seas  of  the  tropics  lie  the  mouldering  hulks  of  those  good 
ships,  and  the  bones  of  their  gallant  crews.  There  will  they  lie,  unknown 
and  unsought,  until  earthly  warfare  is  over  for  all  men,  and  the  sea  gives 
up  its  dead. 


CHAPTER   III. 


PROPOSED  REDUCTION  OF  THE  NAVY.  —  RENEWAL  OF  BRITISH  OUTRAGES. —THE  AFFAIR  OF 
THE  "BALTIMORE."  — ATTACK  ON  THE  "  LEANDER."  —  ENCOUNTER  BETWEEN  THE  "CHES 
APEAKE"  AND  "LEOPARD." 


OT  many  months  had  elapsed  after  the  close  of  the  war  between 
the  United  States  and  France,  when  the  pride  of  the  nation 
in  the  navy  that  had  won  such  laurels  in  that  conflict  began 
to  wane.  In  the  place  of  poems  and  editorials  singing  the 
praises  and  pointing  out  the  value  of  the  navy,  the  newspapers  began 
to  be  filled  with  demands  for  its  reduction.  It  was  an  unwarrantable 
expense,  exclaimed  the  critics  of  the  press,  for  a  nation  so  young,  and  so 
far  from  the  warring  peoples  of  Europe,  to  maintain  a  navy  at  all.  A 
few  gunboats  to  guard  the  coast  would  be  enough.  All  the  consequences 
of  the  reduction  of  the  navy  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution  were  tor- 
gotten  in  an  instant.  A  penny-wise  and  pound-foolish  spirit  came  over 
all  the  political  leaders ;  and  the  Democratic  party,  then  newly  come  into 
power,  determined  to  endear  itself  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  by  cutting 
down  the  expenses  of  the  Government,  and  to  this  end  they  attacked 
first  the  appropriations  for  the  navy.  A  gallant  fight  was  made  against 
the  total  abolition  of  the  navy ;  and  finally  it  was  decided  to  retain  thir 
teen  of  the  ships-of-war  on  the  list,  while  the  others  should  be  sold. 
2. 7O 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  271 

With  these  thirteen  vessels,  of  which  the  most  noted  were  the  "  Consti 
tution,"  the  "  Constellation,"  and  the  "  United  States,"  the  navy  was 
placed  upon  a  peace  footing.  Even  this  moderate  squadron,  however, 
brought  out  much  opposition  from  economically  minded  statesmen  ;  but 
the  aggressions  of  the  Barbary  pirates,  and  the  war  with  Tripoli  which 
opened  in  1801,  gave  the  sailor  lads  active  employment,  and  for  the  time 
the  outcry  of  the  economists  against  the  navy  ceased. 

Of  the  various  wars  with  Tripoli  and  the  other  states  of  Barbary,  we 
have  already  given  some  account.  The  political  bearing  of  the  Tripol- 
itan  war  upon  the  war  which  afterwards  followed  with  Great  Britain  was 
slight ;  but,  as  discipline  for  the  sterner  reality  of  naval  warfare  with  the 
nation  long  reputed  to  be  "  mistress  of  the  seas,"  the  experience  of 
the  Yankee  tars  with  the  turbaned  infidels  was  invaluable. 

Let  us,  then,  return  to  the  shameful  recountal  of  the  injuries  com 
mitted  by  the  British  upon  the  American  flag  on  the  high  seas.  Even 
while  the  United  States  was  at  war  with  France,  and  thus  aiding  the 
British,  the  outrages  never  ceased.  American  sailors  were  still  impressed. 
American  vessels  were  boarded,  and  often  seized,  on  the  slightest  pre 
texts.  Even  the  ships  of  the  Government  were  not  exempt,  for  the 
British  respected  no  right  save  that  of  greater  power. 

It  was  in  November,  1798,  that  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  "Bal 
timore,"  of  twenty  guns,  and  under  command  of  Capt.  Phillips,  was  in 
charge  of  a  convoy  of  merchantmen  bound  to  Havana.  On  the  morning 
of  the  1 6th  of  that  month,  the  sloop,  with  her  convoy,  were  in  sight  of 
their  destination,  and  could  even  see  the  solid,  towering  walls  of  the 
Moro,  rising  high  above  the  low-lying-  shores  about  Havana.  The  breeze 
was  fresh  and  fair ;  and  all  hands  expected  to  cast  anchor  before  night 
in  the  beautiful  bay,  on  the  shores  of  which  stands  the  chief  city  of  the 
island  of  fruits  and  spices.  On  the  "  Baltimore  "  the  jackies  were  busily 
at  work  holystoning  the  decks,  until  they  glistened  with  the  milky  white 
ness  dear  to  the  eye  of  the  sailor  of  the  days  before  the  era  of  yellow 
pine  or  black,  unsightly  iron  ships.  The  shrouds  and  standing  rigging 
had  been  pulled  taut  with  many  a  "  Yo,  heave  ho ! "  until  the  wind 
hummed  plaintively  through  the  taut  cordage,  as  through  the  resounding 
strings  of  an  yEolian  harp.  The  brasswork  and  polished  breeches  of  the 
guns  were  polished  by  the  vigorous  rubbing  by  muscular  sailors,  until  they 
shone  again.  All  told  of  a  coming  season  in  a  friendly  port. 


272 


BLUE-JACKETS    OF    1812. 


While  the  work  of  preparation  for  port  was  thus  going  busily  on,  the 
lookout  hailed  the  deck,  and  reported  a  squadron  in  sight.  A  moment's 
glance  convinced  Capt.  Phillips  that  the  strangers  were  British  war-  vessels  ; 

and,  as  they  were  still  accus 
tomed  to  annoy  American  mer 
chantmen,  he  hastily  signalled 
his  convoy  to  carry  sail  hard. 
and  make  port  before  the  Brit 
ish  came  up,  while  the  "  Balti 
more"  bore  up  to  speak  to  the 
British  commodore. 

Before     the    merchantmen 
could     escape,     however,     the 
British  cut  off  three  of  them, 
under  some  peculiar  and  mis 
taken    ideas    of     the    law    of 
blockades.       More    than    this, 
when    Capt.   Phillips    paid  his 
visit    to    the   English    commo 
dore   in  the  latter's  cabin,  he 
was  calmly  informed 
that  it  was  intended 
to     take     from     the 
"  Baltimore"  into  the 
British  service  every 
sailor  who  had  not  a 
regular  American  pro 
tection  ;     this    under 

the  "^  EngHsh  d°C' 

trine,  that  every  sail 
or  was  an  Englishman  unless  proved  to  be  otherwise.  The  avowal  by  the 
British  captain  of  this  intention  filled  Phillips  with  indignation,  and  he 
warmly  protested  against  any  such  action. 

It  would,  he  insisted,  be  an  outrage  on  the  dignity  of  the  nation  which 
he  served  ;  and,  as  the  overpowering  force  of  the  British  rendered  re 
sistance  impossible,  he  should  insist  upon  surrendering  his  ship  should 


THE  BR.T.SH  SQUADRON. 


BLUE-JACKETS    OF    1812.  273 

they  persist  in  their  undertaking,  which  was  no  more  nor  less  than  open 
warfare.  With  this  he  arose  from  his  seat,  and  leaving  the  cabin,  to 
which  he  had  been  invited  as  the  guest  of  a  friendly  nation,  returned  to 
his  own  ship. 

Here  he  found  a  state  of  affairs  that  still  further  added  to  his  indig 
nation.  At  the  foot  of  the  gangway  of  the  "  Baltimore "  floated  a  boat 
from  one  of  the  British  ships,  and  on  the  deck  of  the  sloop  was  a  lieu 
tenant  in  British  uniform  in  the  act  of  mustering  the  American  crew. 
Capt.  Phillips  at  once  seized  the  muster-roll,  and  ordered  the  officious 
Briton  to  walk  to  leeward,  while  the  crew  of  the  "Baltimore"  were  sent 
to  their  quarters. 

But,  having  done  this,  he  became  doubtful  as  to  the  course  for  him 
to  pursue.  Successful  resistance  was  out  of  the  question;  for  he  was 
surrounded  by  five  British  vessels,  one  of  which  carried  ninety-eight 
guns,  while  the  smallest  mounted  thirty-two,  or  twelve  more  than  the 
'''Baltimore."  Even  had  the  odds  against  him  been  less  great,  Capt. 
Phillips  felt  grave  doubts  as  to  his  authority  to  resist  any  armed  vessel. 
He  had  sailed  under  instructions  that  "  the  vessels  of  every  other  nation 
(France  excepted)  are  on  no  account  to  be  molested ;  and  I  wish  par 
ticularly  to  impress  upon  your  mind,"  wrote  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
"  that  should  you  ever  see  an  American  vessel  captured  by  the  armed 
ship  of  any  nation  at  war,  with  whom  we  are  at  peace,  you  cannot  law 
fully  interfere,  for  it  is  to  be  taken  for  granted  that  such  nation  will 
compensate  for  such  capture,  if  it  should  prove  to  have  been  illegally 
made."  After  some  deliberation  over  this  clause  in  his  instructions, 
Capt.  Phillips  concluded  that  for  him  to  make  even  a  formal  resistance 
would  be  illegal ;  and  accordingly  the  flag  of  the  "  Baltimore "  was  low 
ered,  and  the  British  were  told  that  the  ship  was  at  their  disposal.  They 
immediately  seized  upon  fifty-five  men  from  the  American  crew,  who 
were  taken  away  to  the  British  fleet.  But  in  this  wholesale  impressment 
they  did  not  persist.  Fifty  of  the  men  were  sent  back ;  and  the  squadron 
set  sail,  carrying  away  the  five  pressed  men,  and  leaving  the  men  of  the 
"Baltimore,"  from  the  captain  down  to  the  smallest  cabin-boy,  smarting 
under  the  sense  of  an  indignity  and  insult  offered  to  the  flag  under  which 
they  served. 

Capt.  Phillips  hoisted  his  flag  again,  and  continued  his  cruise.     News 


274  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

travelled  slowly  in  those  days ;  and  the  tidings  of  this  latest  British  insult 
did  not  reach  the  United  States  until  the  "  Baltimore,"  returning  home, 
brought  it  herself.  Hardly  had  the  ship  reached  port,  when  Capt.  Phil 
lips  hastened  to  Philadelphia,  then  the  national  capital,  and  laid  his 
report  of  the  affair  before  the  Government.  In  a  week's  time,  without 
even  the  formality  of  a  trial,  he  was  dismissed  from  the  navy. 

After  the  lapse  of  more  than  eighty  years  it  is  impossible  to  look 
back  upon  this  affair  without  indignation,  mortification,  and  regret.  That 
the  naval  officers  of  Great  Britain  should  have  been  able,  by  the  mere 
force  of  arms,  to  inflict  so  cruel  an  insult  upon  our  flag,  can  but  arouse 
indignation  in  the  breast  of  every  true  American.  And  the  humiliation 
was  great  enough,  without  having  added  to  it  the  obviously  hasty  and 
unjust  action  of  the  authorities,  in  dismissing,  without  a  trial,  an  officer 
who  had  faithfully  served  his  country.  It  is  indeed  possible  that  Capt. 
Phillips  erred  gravely  in  his  course;  but  justice  alone  demanded  for  him 
a  fair  trial,  and  the  nature  of  his  instructions  certainly  afforded  him 
some  justification  for  his  action. 

The  years  that  opened  the  nineteenth  century  were  full  of  events  that 
exerted  the  greatest  influence  over  the  growth  of  the  United  States. 
The  continuance  of  the  Napoleonic  wars  in  Europe,  our  own  war  with  the 
Barbary  powers,  the  acquisition  of  Louisiana,  —  all  these  had  their  effect 
on  the  growth  of  the  young  Republic  of  the  West.  But,  at  the  same  time, 
England  was  continuing  her  policy  of  oppression.  Her  cruisers  and  priva 
teers  swarmed  upon  the  ocean ;  and  impressment  of  seamen  and  seizure 
of  vessels  became  so  common,  that  in  1806  memorials  and  petitions  from 
seamen  and  merchants  of  the  seaport  towns  poured  in  upon  Congress, 
begging  that  body  to  take  some  action  to  save  American  commerce  from 
total  destruction.  Congress  directed  the  American  minister  in  London 
to  protest ;  but  to  no  avail.  Even  while  the  correspondence  on  the  subject 
was  being  carried  on,  the  British  gave  renewed  evidence  of  their  hostility 
to  their  former  Colonies,  and  their  scorn  for  the  military  or  naval  power 
of  the  United  States.  From  the  far-off  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  came 
the  news  that  boats  from  the  fleet  of  the  British  Admiral  Collingwood 
had  boarded  the  United  States  gunboat  No.  7,  and  taken  from  her  three 
sailors,  under  the  pretence  that  they  were  Englishmen.  But  an  occurrence 
that  shortly  followed,  nearer  home,  threw  this  affair  into  oblivion,  and  still 
further  inflamed  the  national  hatred  of  the  English. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  275 

A  small  coasting  sloop,  one  of  hundreds  that  made  voyages  along  the 
American  coast  from  Portland  to  Savannah,  was  running  past  Sandy 
Hook  into  New  York  Bay,  when  she  was  hailed  by  the  British  ship 
"  Leander,"  and  ordered  to  heave  to.  The  captain  of  the  coaster  paid 
no  attention  to  the  order,  and  continued  on  his  way,  until  a  shot  from 
the  cruiser  crashed  into  the  sloop,  and  took  off  the  head  of  the  cap 
tain,  John  Pearce  of  New  York.  This  was  murder,  and  the  action  of 
the  British  in  firing  upon  the  sloop  was  gross  piracy.  Such  an  outrage, 
occurring  so  near  the  chief  city  of  the  United  States,  aroused  a  storm 
of  indignation.  The  merchants  of  New  York  held  meetings  at  the  old 
Tontine  Coffee-House,  and  denounced  not  only  the  action  of  the  British 
cruiser,  but  even  impeached  the  Government  of  the  United  States ;  de 
claring  that  an  administration  which  suffered  foreign  armed  ships  to 
"impress,  wound,  and  murder  citizens  was  not  entitled  to  the  confidence 
ot  a  brave  and  free  people."  The  fact  that  the  captain  of  the  offending 
cruiser,  on  being  brought  to  trial  in  England,  was  honorably  acquitted, 
did  not  tend  to  soothe  the  irritation  of  the  Americans. 

Occurrences  such  as  this  kept  alive  the  American  dislike  for  the  Eng 
lish,  and  a  year  later  an  event  happened  which  even  the  most  ardent 
peace-lover  could  not  but  condemn  and  resent  with  spirit. 

In  1807  the  United  States  frigate  "Chesapeake,"  then  lying  at  the 
navy-yard  at  Washington,  was  put  in  commission,  and  ordered  to  the  Medi 
terranean,  to  relieve  the  "Constitution."  Nearly  a  month  was  consumed 
in  making  necessary  repairs  to  hull  and  cordage,  taking  in  stores,  shipping 
a  crew,  and  attending  to  the  thousand  and  one  details  of  preparation  for 
sea  that  a  long  time  out  of  commission  makes  necessary  to  a  man-of-war. 
While  the  preparations  for  service  were  actively  proceeding,  the  British 
minister  informed  the  naval  authorities  that  three  deserters  from  His  British 
Majesty's  ship  "  Melampus "  had  joined  the  crew  of  the  "Chesapeake;" 
and  it  was  requested  that  they  should  be  given  up.  The  request  was 
made  with  due  courtesy ;  and,  although  there  is  no  principle  of  inter 
national  law  which  directs  the  surrender  of  deserters,  yet  the  United 
States,  as  a  friendly  nation,  was  inclined  to  grant  the  request,  and  an 
inquiry  was  made  into  the  case.  The  facts  elicited  put  the  surrender  of 
the  men  out  of  the  question  ;  for  though  they  frankly  confessed  to  have 
deserted  from  the  "Melampus,"  yet  they  claimed  to  have  been  impressed 


276  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   1812. 

into  the  British  service,  and  proved  conclusively  that  they  were  free 
Americans.  This  was  reported  to  the  British  minister;  and,  as  he  made 
no  further  protests,  it  was  assumed  that  he  was  satisfied. 

Some  weeks  later  the  vessel  left  the  navy-yard,  and  dropped  down  the 
river  to  Hampton  Roads.  Even  with  the  long  period  occupied  in  prepa 
ration  for  sea,  the  armament  of  the  ship  was  far  from  being  in  order ;  a 
fact  first  discovered  as  she  passed  Mount  Vernon,  as  she  was  unable  to 
fire  the  salute  with  which  at  that  time  all  passing  war-vessels  did  honor 
to  the  tomb  of  Washington.  After  some  days'  stay  at  Hampton  Roads, 
during  which  time  additional  guns  and  stores  were  taken  on,  and  the 
crew  increased  to  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  men,  the  ship  got  under 
way,  and  started  on  her  voyage. 

It  was  on  a  breezy  morning  of  June  that  the  "  Chesapeake "  left  the 
broad  harbor  of  Hampton  Roads,  the  scene  of  so  many  of  our  naval 
glories.  From  the  masthead  of  the  frigate  floated  the  broad  pennant  of 
Commodore  Barron,  who  went  out  in  command  of  the  ship.  The  decks 
were  littered  with  ropes,  lumber,  and  stores,  which  had  arrived  too  late 
to  be  properly  stowed  away.  Some  confusion  is  but  natural  on  a  ship 
starting  on  a  cruise  which  may  continue  for  years,  but  the  condition  of 
the  "  Chesapeake  "  was  beyond  all  excuse ;  a  fact  for  which  the  fitting-out 
officers,  not  her  commander,  were  responsible. 

As  the  American  ship  passed  out  into  the  open  ocean,  there  was  a 
great  stir  on  the  decks  of  four  English  cruisers  that  lay  quietly  at  anchor 
in  Lynn  Haven  Bay ;  and  almost  immediately  one  of  these  vessels  hoisted 
her  anchor,  set  her  sails,  and  started  out  in  the  track  of  the  frigate.  A 
stiff  head-wind  blowing,  the  American  was  forced  to  tack  frequently,  in 
order  to  get  ahead  ;  and  her  officers  noticed  that  the  British  ship  (the 
"Leopard,"  of  fifty  guns)  tacked  at  the  same  time,  and  was  evidently 
following  doggedly  in  the  wake  of  the  "Chesapeake."  No  suspicion  that 
the  pursuer  had  other  than  peaceful  motives  in  view  entered  the  minds 
of  the  American  officers ;  and  the  ship  kept  on  her  course,  while  the 
sailors  set  about  putting  the  decks  in  order,  and  getting  the  vessel  in 
trim  for  her  long  voyage.  While  all  hands  were  thus  busily  engaged, 
the  "  Leopard "  bore  down  rapidly,  and  soon  hailed,  saying  that  she  had 
a  despatch  for  Commodore  Barron.  The  "Chesapeake"  accordingly  hove 
to,  and  waited  for  a  boat  to  be  sent  aboard. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  277 

The  two  ships  now  lay  broadside  to  broadside,  and  only  about  a  half 
pistol-shot  apart.  No  idea  that  the  Englishman  had  any  hostile  designs 
seems  to  have  occurred  to  Commodore  Barron ;  but  some  of  the  younger 
officers  noticed  that  the  ports  of  the  "  Leopard "  were  triced  up,  and  the 
tompions  taken  out  of  the  muzzles  of  the  cannon.  The  latter  fact  was 
of  the  gravest  import,  and  should  have  been  reported  at  once  to  the 
commander ;  but  it  appears  that  this  was  not  done. 

In  a  few  moments  a  boat  put  off  from  the  "  Leopard,"  and  pulled  to 
the  American  ship,  where  an  officer  stood  waiting  at  the  gangway,  and 
conducted  the  visitor  to  Barren's  cabin.  Here  the  English  lieutenant  pro 
duced  an  order,  signed  by  the  British  Admiral  Berkeley,  commanding  all 
British  ships  to  watch  for  the  "  Chesapeake,"  and  search  her  for  deserters. 
Commodore  Barron  immediately  responded,  that  the  "  Chesapeake "  har 
bored  no  deserters,  and  he  could  not  permit  his  crew  to  be  mustered  by 
the  officer  of  any  foreign  power.  Hardly  had  this  response  been  made,  when 
a  signal  from  the  "  Leopard  "  recalled  the  boarding  officer  to  his  ship. 

The  officers  of  the  "  Chesapeake "  were  now  fully  aroused  to  the 
dangers  of  the  situation,  and  began  the  attempt  to  get  the  ship  in  readi 
ness  for  action.  Commodore  Barron,  coming  out  of  his  cabin  for  the  first 
time,  was  forcibly  struck  by  the  air  of  preparation  for  action  presented 
by  the  "Leopard."  Capt.  Gordon,  the  second  in  command,  was  ordered 
to  hasten  the  work  on  the  gun-deck,  and  call  the  crew  to  quarters.  The 
drummers  began  to  beat  the  call  to  quarters,  but  hasty  orders  soon 
stopped  them  ;  and  the  men  went  to  their  places  quietly,  hoping  that  the 
threatening  attitude  of  the  "  Leopard "  was  mere  bravado. 

The  most  painful  suspense  was  felt  by  all  on  board  the  American 
ship.  The  attitude  of  the  "  Leopard "  left  little  doubt  of  her  hostile 
intentions,  while  a  glance  about  the  decks  of  the  "  Chesapeake  "  told  how 
little  fitted  she  was  to  enter  into  action.  Her  crew  was  a  new  one,  never 
exercised  at  the  guns,  and  had  been  mustered  to  quarters  only  three 
times.  On  the  gun-deck  lay  great  piles  of  cumbrous  cables,  from  the 
coiling  of  which  the  men  had  been  summoned  by  the  call  to  quarters. 
On  the  after-deck  were  piles  of  furniture,  trunks,  and  some  temporary 
pantries.  What  little  semblance  of  order  there  was,  was  due  to  the  efforts 
of  one  of  the  lieutenants,  who,  suspecting  trouble  when  the  "  Leopard  " 
first  came  up,  had  made  great  exertions  toward  getting  the  ship  clear. 


278  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

While  the  captain  stood  looking  ruefully  at  the  confusion,  still  more 
serious  troubles  were  reported.  The  guns  were  loaded ;  but  no  rammers, 
powder-flasks,  matches,  wads,  or  gun-locks  could  be  found.  While  search 
was  being  made  for  these  necessary  articles,  a  hail  came  from  the  "Leopard." 
Commodore  Barren  shouted  back  that  he  did  not  understand. 

"  Commodore  Barren  must  be  aware  that  the  orders  of  the  vice-admiral 
must  be  obeyed,"  came  the  hail  again. 

Barron  again  responded  that  he  did  not  understand.  After  one  or  two 
repetitions,  the  British  determined  to  waste  no  more  time  in  talking ; 
and  a  single  shot  fired  from  the  bow  of  the  "Leopard"  was  quickly 
followed  by  a  full  broadside.  The  heavy  shot  crashed  iuto  the  sides  of 
the  "Chesapeake,"  wounding  many  of  the  men,  and  adding  to  the  con 
fusion  on  the  gun-deck.  No  answer  came  from  the  American  frigate ; 
for,  though  the  guns  were  loaded,  there  was  no  way  of  firing  them. 
Matches,  locks,  or  loggerheads  were  nowhere  to  be  found.  Mad  with 
rage  at  the  helpless  condition  in  which  they  found  themselves,  the  officers 
made  every  effort  to  fire  at  least  one  volley.  Pokers  were  heated  red- 
hot  in  the  galley-fire,  and  carried  hastily  to  the  guns,  but  cooled  too 
rapidly  in  the  rush  across  the  deck.  In  the  mean  time,  the  "  Leopard," 
none  too  chivalric  to  take  advantage  of  an  unresisting  foe,  had  chosen 
her  position,  and  was  pouring  in  a  deliberate  fire.  For  nearly  eighteen 
minutes  the  fire  was  continued,  when  the  flag  of  the  "  Chesapeake "  was 
hauled  down.  Just  as  it  came  fluttering  from  the  masthead,  Lieut.  Allen, 
crying,  "  I'll  have  one  shot  at  those  rascals,  anyhow,"  ran  to  the  galley, 
picked  up  a  live  coal  in  his  fingers,  and  carried  it,  regardless  of  the  pain, 
to  the  nearest  gun,  which  was  successfully  discharged.  This  was  the  only 
shot  that  the  "Chesapeake"  fired  during  the  affair, — battle  it  cannot  be 
called. 

A  boat  with  two  British  lieutenants  and  several  midshipmen  on  board 
speedily  boarded  the  "  Chesapeake,"  and  the  demand  for  the  deserters  was 
renewed.  Four  seamen  were  seized,  and  borne  away  in  triumph  ;  but  the 
British  commander  refused  to  receive  the  ship  as  a  prize,  and  even  went 
so  far  as  to  express  his  regret  at  the  loss  of  life,  and  proffer  his  aid  in 
repairing  the  damages.  Both  sympathy  and  assistance  were  indignantly 
rejected ;  and  the  disgraced  ship  went  sullenly  back  to  Norfolk,  bearing 
a  sorely  mortified  body  of  officers  and  seamen.  Of  the  four  kidnapped 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 


279 


sailors,  it  may  be  stated  here,  that  one  was  hanged,  and  the  other  three 
forced  to  enter  the  British  service,  in  which  one  died.  His  comrades, 
five  years  later,  were  restored  to  the  deck  of  the  ship  from  which  they 
had  been  taken. 

The   news   of  this   event   spread   like   wildfire   over  the   country,  and 
caused    rage    and    resentment    wherever    it    was    known.      Cities,    towns, 


LIEUT.  ALLEN  FIRES  A  SHOT. 

and  villages  called  for  revenge.  The  President  issued  a  proclamation, 
complaining  of  the  habitual  insolence  of  British  cruisers,  and  ordering  all 
such  vessels  to  leave  American  waters  forthwith.  As  in  the  reduced 
state  of  the  navy  it  was  impossible  to  enforce  this  order,  he  forbade  all 
citizens  of  the  United  States  to  give  aid  to,  or  have  any  intercourse 
with,  any  such  vessels  or  their  crews.  War  measures  were  taken  both 


28.0-  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

by  the  Federal  and  State  Governments.  As  usual,  the  popular  wrath  was 
vented  upon  the  least  culpable  of  the  people  responsible  for  the  condition 
of  the  "  Chesapeake."  Commodore  Barron  was  tried  by  court-martial,  and 
sentenced  to  five  years'  suspension  from  the  service,  without  pay.  The 
cool  judgment  of  later  years  perceives  the  unjustness  of  this  sentence, 
but  its  execution  cast  a  deep  shadow  over  the  remainder  of  the  unhappy 
officer's  life. 

For  some  years  after  this  episode,  little  occurred  to  change  the  rela 
tions  of  the  two  nations.  The  war  spirit  grew  slowly,  and  was  kept 
alive  by  the  occasional  reports  of  impressments,  or  the  seizure  of  Ameri 
can  ships  by  British  privateers.  The  navy  held  its  place  amid  the  national 
defences,  although  a  plan  devised  by  President  Jefferson  came  near  putting 
an  end  to  the  old  organization.  This  plan  provided  for  the  construction 
of  great  numbers  of  .small  gunboats,  which  should  be  stationed  along 
the  coast,  to  be  called  out  only  in  case  of  attack  by  an  armed  enemy. 
A  contemporary  writer,  describing  the  beauties  of  this  system,  wrote, 
"  Whenever  danger  shall  menace  any  harbor,  or  any  foreign  ship  shall 
insult  us,  somebody  is  to  inform  the  governor,  and  the  governor  is  to 
desire  the  marshal  to  call  upon  the  captains  of  militia  to  call  upon  the 
drummers  to  beat  to  arms,  and  call  the  militia  men  together,  from  whom 
are  to  be  drafted  (not  impressed)  a  sufficient  number  to  go  on  board 
the  gunboats,  and  drive  the  hostile  stranger  away,  unless  during  this 
long  ceremonial  he  should  have  taken  himself  off."  Fortunately  the 
gunboat  system  did  not  work  the  total  extinction  of  the  old  navy. 

In  1811  the  British  aggressions  began  again,  and  the  situation  became 
more  and  more  warlike.  So  bold  had  the  privateers  become,  that  they 
captured  a  richly  laden  vessel  within  thirty  miles  of  New  York.  Shortly 
after,  the  British  frigate  "  Guerriere  "  stopped  an  American  brig  eighteen 
miles  from  New  York,  and  took  from  her  a  young  sailor.  The  sea  was 
running  very  rough,  and  a  stiff  breeze  blowing,  when  the  "  Spitfire  "  was 
halted  by  the  frigate ;  but  the  American  captain  went  with  the  captured 
lad  to  the  war-vessel,  and  assured  the  commander  that  he  had  known  the 
young  man  as  a  native  of  Maine  from  his  boyhood,  The  reply  was,  "All 
that  may  be  so;  but  he  has  no  protection,  and  that  is  enough  for  me." 
With  these  memories  fresh,  it  is  not  surprising  that  Americans  rejoiced 
when  the  news  of  an  encounter  terminating  in  favor  of  the  United  States 
ship  was  received. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  281 

On  May  7,  1811,  the  United  States  frigate  " President"  was  lying 
quietly  at  anchor  off  Fort  Severn,  Annapolis.  Every  thing  betokened  a 
state  of  perfect  peace.  The  muzzles  of  the  great  guns  were  stopped  by 
tompions.  The  ports  were  down.  In  the  rigging  of  the  vessel  hung 
garments  drying  in  the  sun.  At  the  side  floated  half  a  dozen  boats. 
Many  of  the  crew  were  ashore  on  leave.  The  sailing-master  was  at  Bal 
timore,  and  the  chaplain  and  purser  were  at  Washington.  From  the 
masthead  floated  the  broad  pennant  of  Commodore  Rodgers,  but  he  was 
with  his  family  at  Havre  de  Grace ;  and  the  executive  officer,  Capt.  Lud- 
low,  was  dining  on  the  sloop-of-war  "  Argus,"  lying  near  at  hand.  But 
the  captain's  dinner  was  destined  to  be  interrupted  that  bright  May 
afternoon ;  for  in  the  midst  of  the  repast  a  midshipman  entered,  and 
reported  that  the  commodore's  gig  was  coming  up  rapidly,  with  Rodgers 
himself  on  board.  The  dinner  party  was  hastily  broken  up,  and  the 
captain  returned  to  his  ship  to  receive  his  superior  officer.  On  his 
arrival,  Commodore  Rodgers  said  that  he  had  received  orders  to  chase 
the  frigate  that  had  impressed  the  sailor  from  the  "  Spitfire,"  and  insist 
upon  the  man's  being  liberated,  if  he  could  prove  his  citizenship.  This 
was  good  news  for  every  man  on  the  frigate.  At  last,  then,  the  United 
States  was  going  to  protect  its  sailors. 

Three  days  were  spent  in  getting  the  crew  together  and  preparing  for 
sea ;  then  the  stately  frigate,  with  all  sails  set  and  colors  flying,  weighed 
anchor,  and  stood  down  the  Chesapeake  with  the  intention  of  cruising 
near  New  York.  She  had  been  out  on  the  open  ocean  only  a  day,  when 
the  lookout,  from  his  perch  in  the  crosstrees,  reported  a  strange  sail  on 
the  horizon.  The  two  vessels  appoached  each  other  rapidly ;  and,  as  the 
stranger  drew  near,  Rodgers  saw,  by  the  squareness  of  her  yards  and 
the  general  trim,  symmetrical  cut  of  her  sails,  that  she  was  a  war-vessel. 
Perhaps  she  may  be  the  offender,  thought  he,  and  watched  eagerly  her 
approach. 

As  the  stranger  came  up,  the  "President"  set  her  broad  pennant  and 
ensign ;  on  seeing  which  the  stranger  hoisted  several  signal  flags,  the 
significance  of  which  was  not  understood  by  the  Americans.  Finding  her 
signals  unanswered,  the  stranger  wore  ship,  and  bore  away  to  the  south 
ward,  hotly  followed  by  the  "President."  During  all  these  manoeuvres, 
Rodgers's  suspicion  of  the  strange  vessel  had  increased ;  and  her  apparent 


282  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

flight  only  convinced  him  the  more  of  the  hostile  character  of  the 
stranger.  It  was  a  stern  chase  and  a  long  one,  for  at  the  outset 
the  stranger  was  hull  down  on  the  horizon.  After  an  hour  it  became 
evident  that  the  "  President "  was  gaining,  for  the  hull  of  the  fugitive 
was  plainly  seen.  The  breeze  then  died  away,  so  that  night  had  fallen 
over  the  waters  before  the  ships  were  within  hailing  distance. 

A  little  after  eight  in  the  evening  the  "  President "  was  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  chase,  which  could  be  seen,  a  dark  mass  with 
bright  lights  shining  through  the  rows  of  open  ports,  rushing  through 
the  water  directly  ahead.  Rodgers  sprang  upon  the  taffrail,  and  put 
ting  a  speaking-trumpet  to  his  lips,  shouted,  *'  What  ship  is  that  ? '' 
A  dead  silence  followed.  Those  on  the  "  President "  listened  intently 
for  the  answer ;  but  no  sound  was  heard  save  the  sigh  of  the  wind 
through  the  cordage,  the  creaking  of  the  spars,  and  the  rush  of  the 
water  alongside.  Rodgers  hailed  again  ;  and,  before  the  sound  of  his 
words  had  died  away,  a  quick  flash  of  fire  leaped  from  the  stern-ports  of 
the  chase,  and  a  shot  whizzed  through  the  rigging  of  the  "  President," 
doing  some  slight  damage.  Rodgers  sprang  to  the  deck  to  order  a  shot 
in  return  ;  but,  before  he  could  do  so,  a  too  eager  gunner  pulled  the 
lanyard  of  his  piece  in  the  second  division  of  the  "President's"  battery. 
The  enemy  promptly  answered  with  three  guns,  and  then  let  fly  a  whole 
broadside,  with  discharges  of  musketry  from  the  deck  and  the  tops. 
This  exhausted  Rodgers's  patience.  "  Equally  determined,"  said  he  after 
wards,  ''not  to  be  the  aggressor,  or  to  suffer  the  flag  of  my  country  to 
be  insulted  with  impunity,  I  gave  a  general  order  to  fire."  This  time 
there  was  no  defect  in  the  ordnance  or  the  gunnery  of  the  American 
ship.  The  thunderous  broadsides  rang  out  at  regular  intervals,  and  the 
aim  of  the  gunners  was  deliberate  and  deadly.  It  was  too  dark  to  see 
what  effect  the  fire  was  having  on  the  enemy,  but  in  five  minutes  her 
responses  began  to  come  slowly  and  feebly.  Unwilling  to  continue  his 
attack  on  a  ship  evidently  much  his  inferior  in  size  and  armament, 
Rodgers  ordered  the  gunners  to  cease  firing;  but  this  had  hardly  been 
done  when  the  stranger  opened  again.  A  second  time  the  guns  of  the 
"  President "  were  run  out,  and  again  they  began  their  cannonade.  The 
stranger  was  soon  silenced  again  ;  and  Commodore  Rodgers  hailed,  that 
he  might  learn  the  name  of  his  adversary.  In  answer  came  a  voice 
from  the  other  vessel, — 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 


283 


"We  are  his  Majesty's  ship  ."     A  gust   of  wind   carried  away  the 

name,  and  Rodgers  was  still  in  doubt  as  to  whom  he  had  been  fighting. 
Hoisting  a  number  of  bright  lights  in  her  rigging,  that  the  stranger  might 


COMMODORE  RODGERS  HAILS. 


know  her  whereabouts,   the    "  President "   stood   off   and   on    during    the 
night,  ready  to  give  aid  to  the  disabled  ship  in  case  of  need. 

At  early  dawn  every  officer  was  on  deck,  anxious  to  learn  the  fate  ot 
their  foe  of  the  night  before.     Far  in  the  distance  they  could  see  a  ship, 


284  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

whose  broken  cordage  and  evident  disorder  showed  her  to  have  been 
the  other  party  to  the  fight.  A  boat  from  the  "  President "  visited  the 
stranger,  to  learn  her  name  and  to  proffer  aid  in  repairing  the  damages 
received  in  the  action.  The  ship  proved  to  be  the  British  sloop-of-war 
"  Little  Belt ;  "  and  her  captain  stated  that  she  was  much  damaged  in  her 
masts,  sails,  rigging,  and  hull,  and  had  been  cut  several  times  between 
wind  and  water.  He  declined  the  proffered  aid,  however,  and  sailed 
away  to  Halifax,  the  nearest  British  naval  station.  Commodore  Rodgers 
took  the  "  President "  to  the  nearest  American  port. 

When  the  "  President "  reached  home,  and  the  news  of  her  exploit 
became  known,  the  exultation  of  the  people  was  great,  and  their  com 
mendations  of  Rodgers  loud.  "At  last,"  they  cried,  "we  have  taught 
England  a  lesson.  The  insult  to  the  ' Chesapeake'  is  now  avenged." 
Rodgers  protested  that  he  had  been  forced  unwillingly  into  the  combat, 
but  his  admirers  insisted  that  he  had  left  port  with  the  intention  of 
humbling  the  pride  of  some  British  ship.  Indeed,  the  letter  of  an  officer 
on  the  "President,"  printed  in  "The  New  York  Herald"  at  the  time,  rather 
supported  this  theory.  "By  the  officers  who  came  from  Washington," 
wrote  this  gentleman,  "we  learn  that  we  are  sent  in  pursuit  of  a  British 
frigate,  who  had  impressed  a  passenger  from  a  coaster.  Yesterday,  while 
beating  down  the  bay,  we  spoke  a  brig  coming  up,  who  informed  us  that 
she  saw  the  British  frigate  the  day  before  off  the  very  place  where  \ve 
now  are  ;  but  she  is  not  now  in  sight.  We  have  made  the  most  com 
plete  preparations  for  battle.  Every  one  wishes  it.  She  is  exactly  our 
force  ;  but  we  have  the  "  Argus "  with  us,  which  none  of  us  are  pleased 
with,  as  we  wish  a  fair  trial  of  courage  and  skill.  Should  we  see  her, 
I  have  not  the  least  doubt  of  an  engagement.  The  commodore  will 
demand  the  person  impressed ;  the  demand  will  doubtless  be  refused,  and 
the  battle  will  instantly  commence.  .  .  .  The  commodore  has  called  in  the 
boatswain,  gunner,  and  carpenter,  informed  them  of  all  circumstances, 
and  asked  if  they  were  ready  for  action.  Ready,  was  the  reply  of 
each." 

No  consequences  beyond  an  intensifying  of  the  war  spirit  in  America 
followed  this  rencounter.  Before  dismissing  the  subject,  however,  it  is 
but  fair  to  state  that  the  account  as  given  here  is  in  substance  Commo 
dore  Rodgers's  version  of  the  matter.  The  British  captain's  report  was 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  285 


quite  different.  He  insisted  that  the  "  President "  fired  the  first  shot, 
that  the  action  continued  nearly  an  hour,  that  it  was  his  hail  to  which 
no  attention  was  paid,  and  finally  he  intimated  that  the  "President"  .had 
rather  the  worse  of  the  encounter.  The  last  statement  is  easily  disproved, 
for  the  "President"  was  almost  unscathed,  and  the  only  injury  to  her 
people  was  the  slight  wounding  of  a  boy,  in  the  hand.  On  the  "  Little 
Belt,"  thirty-one  were  killed  or  wounded.  The  other  points  led  to  a 
simple  question  of  veracity  between  the  two  officers.  Each  government 
naturally  accepted  the  report  of  its  officer;  and,  so  far  as  the  governments 
were  concerned,  the  matter  soon  passed  into  oblivion. 

Not  long  after  this  episode,  a  somewhat  similar  occurrence  took  place, 
but  was  happily  attended  with  no  such  serious  consequences.  The  frig 
ate  "  United  States,"  cruising  under  the  broad  pennant  of  Commodore 
Decatur,  fell  in  with  two  British  ships  near  New  York.  While  the  com- 
manders  of  the  vessels  were  amicably  hailing,  a  gun  was  suddenly  fired 
from  the  battery  of  the  "  United  States,"  owing  to  the  carelessness  of 
a  gunner  in  handling  the  lanyard.  It  was  a  critical  moment,  for  the 
British  would  have  been  justified  in  responding  to  the  fire  with  broad 
sides.  Happily,  they  were  cool  and  discreet,  and  Decatur  made  such 
explanations  as  showed  that  no  attack  or  insult  was  intended.  This  little 
incident  is  interesting,  as  showing  the  distrust  of  the  British  which  led 
an  American  captain  to  keep  his  guns  primed  and  cocked,  while  convers 
ing  with  English  men-of-war. 

Another  incident  showed  that  the  hatred  of  the  British  service  that 
prevailed  among  seamen  was  a  matter  of  deep-seated  conviction.  While 
the  United  States  ship  "Essex"  was  lying  in  an  English  port,  it  became 
known  that  one  of  her  crew  was  a  deserter  from  the  British  navy,  and 
his  surrender  was  immediately  demanded.  Although  the  man  stoutly 
protested  that  he  was  an  American,  yet  no  proof  could  be  shown ;  and, 
as  the  ship  was  in  British  waters,  it  was  determined  to  surrender  him. 
A  British  officer  and  squad  of  marines  boarded  the  "  Essex "  and  waited 
on  the  deck  while  the  sailor  went  below  to  get  his  kit.  Bitterly  com 
plaining  of  the  hardness  of  his  fate,  the  poor  fellow  went  along  the  gun- 
decks  until  he  passed  the  carpenter's  bench.  His  eye  fell  upon  an  axe; 
and  after  a  minute's  hesitation  he  stepped  to  the  bench,  seized  the  axe  in 
his  right  hand,  and  with  one  blow  cut  off  the  left.  Carrying  the  severed 

1  o 


286  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

member  in  his  hand,  he  again  sought  the  deck  and  presented  himself, 
maimed,  bleeding,  and  forever  useless  as  a  sailor,  to  the  British  officer. 
Astonished  and  horrified,  that  worthy  left  the  ship,  and  the  wounded 
man  was  sent  to  the  sick-bay.  The  incident  was  a  forcible  commentary 
on  the  state  of  the  British  service  at  that  time,  and  left  a  deep  impres 
sion  on  the  minds  of  all  beholders. 

In  the  next  contest  over  deserters,  however,  the  Americans  rather 
secured  the  best  of  the  argument.  The  "Constitution"  was  lying  at 
anchor  in  Portsmouth  roads,  when  one  of  the  crew  slily  slipped  overboard 
and  swam  down  with  the  tide  to  the  British  ship  "  Madagascar "  that 
lay  at  anchor  near  by.  When  he  had  reached  the  Englishman,  he  was 
too  exhausted  to  speak ;  and  the  officers,  supposing  that  he  had  fallen 
overboard  accidentally,  sent  word  to  the  "Constitution"  that  her  man 
had  been  saved,  and  awaited  the  orders  of  his  commander.  The  next 
morning  a  boat  was  sent  down  to  the  "  Madagascar "  to  fetch  the  man 
back ;  but,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  visiting  officer,  he  was  told  that 
the  sailor  claimed  to  be  a  British  subject  and  wished  to  escape  from  the 
American  service. 

"Have  you  any  evidence,"  asked  the  American  officer  of  the  British 
admiral,  "  beyond  the  man's  own  word,  that  he  is  an  Englishman  ? " 

"None  whatever,  sir,"  was  the  response,  "but  we  are  obliged  to  take 
his  declaration  to  that  effect." 

The  American  officer  returned  to  his  ship,  vowing  vengeance  on  the 
harborers  of  the  deserter.  His  opportunity  came  that  very  night. 

In  the  dead  watches  of  the  night,  when  all  was  still  on  deck  save 
the  monotonous  tramp  of  the  sentries,  there  suddenly  rang  out  on  the 
still  air  the  sharp  crack  of  a  musket.  The  officer  of  the  deck  rushed  to 
see  what  was  the  matter,  and  was  shown  a  dark  object  floating  near  the 
ship,  at  which  a  sentry  had  fired.  A  boat  was  lowered  and  soon  came 
back,  bringing  in  it  a  sailor  who  had  deserted  from  the  "Madagascar," 
and  reached  the  "Constitution"  by  swimming.  Capt.  Hull  asked  the 
fellow  his  nationality. 

"  Sure,  O'im  a  'Merricun,  your  honor,"  he  answered  in  a  rich  brogue 
that  would  have  branded  him  as  a  Paddy  in  any  part  of  the  world. 
With  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  Hull  sent  the  Irishman  below,  and  told  the 
sailors  to  take  good  care  of  him. 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  287 

Early  in  the  morning,  a  boat  came  from  the  "  Madagascar ; "  and  a 
trim  young  lieutenant,  clambering  aboard  the  American  frigate,  politely 
requested  that  the  deserter  be  given  up.  With  great  dignity,  Capt. 
Hull  responded  that  the  man  was  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and 
should  have  protection.  The  visiting  officer  fairly  gasped  for  breath. 
"  An  American  ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  Why,  the  man  has  never  been  out 
of  Ireland  except  on  a  British  man-of-war." 

"  Indeed ! "  responded  Hull  blandly.  "  But  we  have  his  statement 
that  he  is  an  American,  and  we  are  obliged  to  take  his  declaration  to 
that  effect."  And  the  man  was  never  given  up. 

During  the  day,  two  British  frigates  cast  anchor  so  near  the  "Con 
stitution  "  that  Capt.  Hull  suspected  them  of  hostile  intentions,  and 
moved  his  ship  to  a  new  anchorage.  A  frigate  followed  closely  in  her 
wake.  At  eight  in  the  evening,  Capt.  Hull  determined  to  meet  the  show 
of  force  with  force.  The  drums  beat,  and  the  men  were  called  to  quar 
ters.  The  battle-lanterns  were  lighted  fore  and  aft.  The  tops  were 
crowded  with  sailors,  armed  with  short  carbines,  to  pick  off  the  men  on 
the  enemy's  decks.  Along  the  gun-deck  stood  the  men  at  the  guns ;  and 
an  officer,  describing  the  scene,  says  they  took  hold  of  the  ropes  as  if 
they  were  about  to  jerk  the  guns  through  the  ship's  sides.  Ail  were 
enthusiastic  over  the  prospect  of  the  coming  action. 

"Now,  then,  my  lads,"  said  an  officer  to  a  group  of  sailors,  "if  a 
fight  comes  of  this,  it  will  be  in  the  cause  of  you  sailors;  and  I  expect 
you  to  fight  like  men." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  was  the  response.  "Let  the  quarter-deck  look  out 
for  the  colors,  and  we'll  keep  the  guns  going." 

All  the  preparations  for  battle  were  made  openly,  and  the  attitude 
taken  by  the  "Constitution"  was  an  open  challenge.  No  notice  of  it 
was  taken  by  the  British  ship;  and,  after  maintaining  her  hostile  atti 
tude  for  some  time,  the  "  Constitution "  hoisted  her  anchor,  and  left  the 
harbor. 

The  time  of  the  formal  declaration  of  war  was  now  rapidly  approach 
ing.  The  long  diplomatic  correspondence  between  the  two  nations  had 
failed  to  lead  to  any  amicable  solution  of  the  difficulties  that  were  fast 
urging  them  to  war.  Great  Britain  still  adhered  to  her  doctrine  that  a 
man  once  an  Englishman  was  always  an  English  subject.  No  action  of 


288  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

his  own  could  absolve  him  from  allegiance  to  the  flag  under  which  he 
was  born.  Upon  the  trade  of  the  United  States  with  France,  the  Eng 
lish  looked  with  much  the  sentiments  with  which,  during  our  civil  war, 
we  regarded  the  thriving  trade  driven  with  the  Confederacy  by  the  Brit 
ish  blockade-runners.  Upon  these  two  theories  rested  the  hateful  "  right 
of  search  "  and  the  custom  of  impressment. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  views  of  the  United  States  on  these 
questions  were  exactly  contrary  to  those  of  the  English.  Such  vital 
differences  could,  then, !  only  be  settled  by  war ;  and  war  was  accordingly 
declared  in  June,  1812.  It  was  a  bold  step  for  the  young  nation,  but 
there  was  enough  of  plausibility  in  the  English  claims  to  make  it  evident 
that  they  could  never  be  set  aside  by  diplomacy ;  and  so,  with  hardly  a 
thought  of  the  odds  against  her,  the  United  States  dashed  in  to  win  justice 
at  the  muzzles  of  her  cannon. 

That  the  odds  were  tremendous,  is  not  to  be  denied.  Of  the  military 
strength  of  the  two  nations,  it  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  book  to  treat. 
Indeed,  a  recountal  of  the  land  battles  of  the  war  of  1812  would  hardly 
be  pleasant  reading  for  Americans.  It  was  on  the  sea  that  our  laurels 
were  chiefly  won.  Yet,  at  the  time  of  the  declaration  of  war,  the  navy 
of  the  United  States  consisted  of  twenty  vessels,  of  which  the  largest 
carried  forty-four  guns,  and  the  majority  rated  under  thirty.  For  years 
this  navy  had  been  a  butt  of  ridicule  for  all  the  European  naval  powers. 
The  frigate  "  Constitution "  was  scornfully  termed  by  an  English  news 
paper  "  a  bunch  of  pine  boards  sailing  under  a  bit  of  striped  bunting." 
Not  long  after  the  publication  of  this  insolent  jeer,  the  "Constitution" 
sailed  into  an  American  port  with  a  captured  British  frigate  in  tow.  Right 
merrily  then  did  the  Americans  boast  of  their  "bunch  of  pine  boards." 

This  miniature  navy  of  the  United  States  was  about  to  be  pitted 
against  the  greatest  naval  power  of  the  world.  The  rolls  of  the  navy  of 
Great  Britain  bore  at  this  time  the  names  of  over  one  thousand  ships. 
Of  these,  no  less  than  two  hundred  and  fifty-four  were  ships-of-the-line, 
mounting  over  seventy-four  guns  each.  Behind  this  great  navy  were  the 
memories  of  long  years  of  conquests,  of  an  almost  undisputed  supremacy 
upon  the  ocean.  Small  wonder  was  it,  then,  that  the  British  laughed  at 
the  idea  of  the  Americans  giving  battle  to  their  hitherto  unconquered 
Ships. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  289 

What,  then,  was  the  secret  of  the  success  which,  as  we  shall  see, 
attended  the  American  arms  on  the  sea  ?  The  answer  is,  that  men,  not 
ships,  carried  the  day.  Yet  Great  Britain  had  the  more  sailors  on  her 
muster-rolls.  True,  but  they  were  only  too  often  unwilling  slaves.  Instead 
of  enlisting,  like  free  men,  they  were  hunted  down  like  brutes  and  forced 
to  enter  the  service.  No  sailor  was  safe  from  the  press-gang,  and  even 
sober  citizens. were  often  kidnapped  to  serve  the  'King'  on  the  ocean. 
From  the  ships  of  other  nations,  from  their  homes  and  from  taverns,  the 
unlucky  sailors  were  dragged  away.  Even  in  the  streets  of  populous 
cities,  they  were  not  safe;  and  it  was  no  uncommon  sight  to  see  pitched 
battles  being  fought  between  the  press-gangs  and  sailors  whom  they 
were  trying  to  capture.  Generally,  the  inhabitants  and  landsmen  sided 
with  the  victims  ;  and  a  sailor  running  through  the  streets  of  the  town 
would  be  given  every  assistance  by  people,  who  rilled  with  obstacles  the 
path  of  his  pursuers.  Could  he  reach  the  water-side,  the  fugitive  would 
find  every  boat  at  his  service ;  while  his  pursuers,  on  coming  up,  found 
every  water-man  very  busy  and  very  gruff.  But  the  wonder  is,  that, 
with  this  unjust  and  repulsive  system  of  impressments,  the  British  sailors 
were  so  loyal,  and  fought  with  the  dogged  courage  that  they  invariably 
showed. 

In  the  American  navy,  on  the  contrary,  the  enlistments  were  volun 
tary.  The  service  was  popular,  and  the  seamen  entered  it  without  the 
feeling  of  outraged  liberty  inspired  by  the  British  system.  Officers  were 
readily  obtained  from  the  ranks  of  the  adventurous  American  navigators. 
Officers  and  men  alike  often  brought  into  the  service  personal  memories 
of  British  oppression  ;  and  this,  with  their  free  and  independent  spirit, 
enabled  them  to  wage  an  unequal  war  with  glorious  results  for  the 
supporters  of  the  stars  and  stripes. 


CHAPTER    IV 


THE  WAR  ON  THE  OCEAN.  — COMMODORE  RODGERS'S  CRUISE. —THE  LOSS  OF  THE  "  NAU 
TILUS."—  FIRST  SUCCESS  FOR  THE  BRITISH.— THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  "  CONSTITUTION." - 
THE  "ESSEX"  TAKES  THE  "ALERT."  — THE  "CONSTITUTION  AND  THE  "  GUERRIERE." 


T   the   time   when   the    declaration    of    war   was    made    public,    a 
small  squadron  of  United  States  vessels  was  lying  in  the  por4:  of 
New  York,   under  the  command  of   Commodore  Rodgers      The 
warlike   tendency  of   the    popular  mind   had  long  been   evident, 
and   the   captain   of   every   war-vessel   had   been   for   some    time    making 
active   preparations   for   service.      Some   apprehension   was   felt   in    naval 
circles,  lest  the  small  size  of  the  navy  should  lead  the  authorities  to  lay 
up  the  vessels  in  port  during  the  continuance  of  the  war.     This  appre 
hension  was  well  founded ;  for  not  only  had  such  a  course  been  debated 
in   the    cabinet,    but    orders    had    been    prepared,    directing    Commodore 
Rodgers  to  hold  his  vessels  in  port.     This  decision  was  actively  opposed 
290 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  291 

by  the  officers  of  the  navy,  who  felt  that,  though  inconsiderable  in  num 
bers,  the  United  States  navy  could  make  a  brave  fight  for  the  honor  of 
the  nation ;  and  with  one  accord  all  protested  against  the  action  con 
emplated.  Two  officers,  Capt.  Bainbridge  and  Capt.  Stewart,  went  to 
Vashington  and  sought  an  interview  with  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
Paul  Hamilton,  who  assured  them  that  the  plans  of  the  Government  were 
well  matured  and  would  not  be  changed.  The  United  States  could  not 
afford,  said  the  secretary,  that  its  few  frigates  and  men-of-war  should  be 
snapped  up  by  the  enormous  fleets  of  the  British,  as  would  surely  be  the 
case,  if  they  ventured  upon  the  ocean.  But  it  was  not  intended  to  materi 
ally  reduce  the  lists  of  naval  officers.  The  frigates,  with  all  their  loose 
spars  and  top-hamper  taken  down,  were  to  be  anchored  at  the  entrances  of 
the  principal  harbors  of  the  country,  and  operated  as  stationary  batteries. 

This  prospect  was  far  from  agreeable  to  the  two  officers.  It  was  intol 
erable  for  them  to  imagine  the  graceful  frigates,  with  towering  masts  and 
snowy  canvas,  reduced  to  mere  shapeless  hulks,  and  left  to  guard  the 
entrance  of  a  placid  harbor.  Finding  the  secretary  inexorable,  they  went 
to  the  President  and  put  the  case  before  him.  They  assured  him,  that, 
small  though  the  list  of  American  ships  was,  it  bore  the  names  of  vessels 
able  to  cope  with  any  thing  of  their  class  in  the  British  navy.  Both 
officers  and  seamen  were  proud  of  the  service,  and  burned  to  strike  a 
blow  for  its  honor.  President  Madison  seemed  much  impressed  by  their 
representations,  and  agreed  to  take  the  matter  into  consideration ;  and,  if 
it  seemed  wise,  to  change  the  plan.  But,  before  any  definite  action  was 
taken  by  him,  war  was  declared. 

Within  an  hour  after  he  had  received  news  of  the  declaration  of  war, 
Commodore  Rodgers  had  his  squadron  under  way,  and  dropped  down  New 
York  Bay  to  the  ocean.  Under  his  command  were  the  flag-ship  "Presi 
dent  "  of  forty-four  guns,  the  "  Essex "  thirty-two,  and  the  "  Hornet " 
eighteen.  In  the  lower  bay  these  vessels  were  joined  by  the  "United 
States  "  forty-four,  the  "  Congress  "  thirty-eight,  and  the  "  Argus  "  sixteen. 
On  June  21,  1812,  three  days  after  the  declaration  of  war,  the  whole 
squadron  passed  Sandy  Hook,  and  stood  out  into  the  ocean. 

It  is  probable  that  the  remarkable  celerity  of  Commodore  Rodgers's 
departure  was  due,  in  part,  to  the  fear  that  the  authorities  would  revive 
the  obnoxious  order  laying  up  the  ships  in  port.  His  chief  object,  how- 


292  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


ever,  was  to  overhaul  a  large  fleet  of  British  merchantmen  that  had 
recently  left  the  West  Indies,  and,  according  to  all  calculations,  should 
have  been  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  at  that  time.  All  sail  was  accord 
ingly  crowded  upon  the  ships,  and  the  squadron  set  out  in  hot  pursuit. 

For  two  days  the  monotony  of  the  horizon  was  broken  by  no  sail ; 
but  on  the  third  a  ship  was  espied  in  the  distance,  which  was  made  out 
to  be  an  enemy's  frigate,  after  which  chase  was  made  by  the  whole 
squadron.  A  fresh  breeze  was  blowing,  and  both  chase  and  pursuers 
were  running  free  before  the  wind.  As  sail  after  sail  was  crowded  upon 
the  ships,  the  smaller  vessels,  with  their  lesser  expanse  of  canvas,  began 
to  fall  behind ;  and  in  a  few  hours  the  frigate  "  President  "  had  gradu 
ally  drawn  away  from  the  fleet,  and  was  rapidly  gaining  on  the  enemy. 
The  sail  had  been  spied  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  four  P.M. 
the  flag-ship  had  come  within  gunshot  of  the  chase.  The  wind  then 
fell ;  and  the  chase,  being  long  out  of  port  and  light,  began  to  gain  on 
her  heavier  adversary.  Both  vessels  now  began  to  prepare  for  a  little 
gunnery.  On  the  English  vessel,  which  proved  to  be  the  "Belvidera," 
thirty-six,  the  sailors  were  busily  engaged  in  shifting  long  eighteens  an:l 
carronades  to  the  stern,  making  a  battery  of  stern-chasers  mounting  four 
guns. 

The  action  was  opened  by  a  gun  from  the  bow  of  the  "President," 
sighted  and  fired  by  Commodore  Rodgers  himself ;  so  that  this  officer  may 
be  said  to  have  fired  the  first  gun  of  the  war.  His  shot  was  a  good  one, 
hulling  the  enemy.  A  second  shot  from  one  of  the  guns  of  the  first 
division  broke  off  the  muzzle  of  one  of  the  "  Belvidera's "  stern-chasers; 
and  a  third  shot,  fired  by  Commodore  Rodgers,  crashed  into  the  stern 
of  the  chase,  killing  two  men,  and  wounding  several  others.  Certainly  in 
their  first  action  the  Yankees  showed  no  lack  of  skill  in  gunnery. 

The  chase  was  slow  in  responding  to  the  fire  ;  and  although  her  com 
mander,  Capt.  Byron,  sighted  the  guns  for  the  first  few  discharges  himsc1' 
his  aim  was  by  no  means  so  good  as  that  of  the  Americans.  The  Britis 
showed  great  energy,  however,  in  defending  their  ship.  Not  content  with 
the  stern  guns  already  mounted,  they  shifted  to  the  stern  ports  two  long 
eighteen-pounders  on  the  main  deck,  and  two  thirty-two-pound  carronades 
on  the  quarter-deck.  With  these  they  kept  up  a  brisk  fire,  which  soon 
became  effective,  many  shots  cutting  the  rigging  of  the  "  President,"  while 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  293 

one  plunged  down  upon  the  deck,  killing  a  midshipman  and  two  or  three 
men.  But  the  superiority  of  the  American  gunnery  was  beginning  to  tell, 
when,  at  a  critical  moment,  a  main-deck  gun,  on  the  "  President,"  burst  with 
a  stunning  report ;  and  the  flying  fragments  killed  or  wounded  sixteen 
men.  The  force  of  the  explosion  shattered  the  forecastle  deck.  Com 
modore  Rodgers  was  thrown  high  into  the  air,  and,  falling-  heavily  on  the 
deck,  suffered  a  painful  fracture  of  the  leg.  The  crew  was  at  once  thrown 
into  confusion  and  almost  panic.  Every  gun  was  looked  upon  with  suspL 
cion.  Encouraged  by  this  confusion,  the  enemy  worked  his  stern  guns 
with  renewed  vigor,  and  at  the  same  time  lightened  his  ship  by  cutting 
away  boats  and  anchors,  and  starting  fourteen  tons  of  water.  Thus 
lightened,  she  began  to  draw  away  from  the  "  President ; "  perceiving 
which,  the  latter  ship  yawed  several  times,  and  let  fly  full  broadsides  at 
the  escaping  chase.  The  shot  rattled  among  the  spars  of  the  "  Belvidera," 
but  the  nimble  topmen  quickly  repaired  all  damages ;  and  the  British  ship 
slowly  but  steadily  forged  ahead.  Seeing  no  hope  of  overtaking  her, 
Rodgers  ordered  the  chase  abandoned  ;  and  the  American  squadron  again 
took  up  its  search  for  the  fleet  of  British  merchantmen. 

But  this,  the  first  cruise  of  the  United  States  navy  in  the  war  was 
destined  to  be  a  disappointment  to  all  concerned.  The  key-note  set  by 
the  affair  just  related  —  in  which  the  "President"  lost  twenty-two  men, 
and  permitted  her  adversary  to  escape  —  was  continued  throughout  the 
voyage.  Always  finding  traces  of  the  enemy  they  were  seeking,  the 
Americans  never  succeeded  in  overhauling  him.  One  day  great  quanti' 
ties  of  orange-peel,  cocoanut-shells,  and  similar  fragments  of  tropical  fruits 
gave  the  jackies  assurance  of  the  proximity  of  the  long-sought  enemy, 
and  urged  them  on  to  renewed  energy  and  watchfulness.  Then  the  master 
of  an  English  letter-of-marque,  captured  by  the  "  Hornet,"  reported  that 
the  day  before  he  had  passed  a  fleet  of  eighty-five  sail,  of  which  four 
were  men-of-war.  That  night  there  was  no  room  in  the  minds  of  the 
sailors  for  any  thoughts  other  than  those  of  big  prize-money.  But  their 
golden  dreams  were  never  to  be  fulfilled ;  for,  although  the  chase  was 
continued  until  within  a  day's  run  of  the  English  Channel,  no  sight  oi 
the  Jamaica  fleet  was  ever  gained.  Abandoning  this  chase,  the  squadron 
returned  to  Boston  by  a  Southern  route ;  and,  although  constantly  in  the 
very  highway  of  commerce,  few  sails  were  sighted.  When  port  was 


294 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


reached,  the  results  of  a  cruise  that  had  occupied  seventy  days  amounted 
only  to  the  capture  of  one  letter-of-marque,  seven  merchantmen,  and  the 
recapture  of  one  American  ship.  But  Rodgers  heard,  that,  while  he 


EXPLOSION   ON   THE  "PRESIDENT." 


had  been  scouring   the   ocean  with   such   meagre  results,  events  of   more 
importance  had  occurred  nearer  home. 

The  British  ship  "Belvidera,"  after  her  lucky  escape  from  the  "Presi 
dent,"  had  made  her  way  to  Halifax,  the  chief  naval  station  of  Great 
Britain  on  the  American  coast.  Her  report  was  the  first  news  of  the 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  295 

declaration  of  war,  for  at  that  day  news  travelled  slowly.  Once  alarmed, 
the  British  were  prompt  to  act ;  and  in  a  few  days  a  squadron  left  Halifax 
in  search  of  Commodore  Rodgers.  The  force  thus  hurriedly  gathered 
was  quite  formidable.  The  "  Africa "  of  sixty-four  guns,  the  "  Shannon/'" 
thirty-eight,  the  "Guerriere,"  thirty-eight,  the  "  Belvidera,"  thirty-six,  and 
the  "^olus,"  thirty-two,  made  up  the  fleet  despatched  to  chastise  the 
headstrong  Americans  for  their  attempt  to  dispute  with  Great  Britain  the 
mastery  of  the  ocean.  Early  in  July,  this  force  made  its  appearance  off 
New  York,  and  quickly  made  captures  enough  to  convince  the  American 
merchantmen  that  a  season  in  port  was  preferable  to  the  dangers  of  the 
high  seas  in  war-times.  To  this  same  fleet  belongs  the  honor  of  the  first 
capture  of  a  war-vessel  during  the  war ;  for  the  American  brig  "  Nautilus," 
fourteen  guns,  was  suddenly  overhauled  by  the  entire  fleet,  and  captured 
after  a  plucky  but  unavailing  attempt  at  flight. 

Fourteen-gun  brigs,  however,  were  rather  small  game  for  a  squadron 
like  that  of  the  British ;  and  it  is  probable  that  His  Britannic  Majesty's 
officers  were  heartily  glad,  when,  some  days,  later  the  United  States  frigate 
"  Constitution "  hove  in  sight,  under  circumstances  which  seemed  certain 
to  make  her  an  easy  prey  to  the  five  British  ships. 

It  v/as  on  the  i/th  of  July,  1812,  that  the  ''Constitution,"  after 
receiving  a  new  crew  at  Annapolis,  was  standing  northward  under  easy 
sail  on  her  way  to  New  York.  About  noon  four  sails  were  sighted  on 
the  horizon,  and  an  hour  later  the  appearance  of  a  fifth  sail  was  duly 
reported.  A  careful  scrutiny  of  the  strangers  convinced  Capt.  Hull  that 
they  were  men-of-war,  although  their  nationality  could  not  be  determined. 
Night  fell  before  the  ships  could  come  within  hailing  distance ;  and,  though 
Hull  set  private  signals,  no  answer  was  returned.  When  day  broke,  Hull 
found  himself  fairly  surrounded  by  British  frigates.  In  addition  to  the 
squadron  which  has  been  described  as  leaving  Halifax,  there  was  the 
captured  "  Nautilus  "  with  her  guns  turned  against  her  own  nation,  and 
a  captured  American  schooner  which  had  been  likewise  pressed  into  the 
service.  Clearly  the  "  Constitution  "  was  outnumbered,  and  nothing  was 
left  for  her  but  flight. 

The  events  of  that  three  days'  chase  are  told  with  great  minuteness 
in  the  log-book  of  the  "  Constitution,"  to  which  many  of  those  on  board 
have,  in  later  publications,  added  more  interesting  personal  reminiscences. 


296  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

When  the  rising  mists  showed  how  completely  the  American  frigate  was 
hemmed  in,  hardly  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring.  Although  every  sail 
ivas  set  on  the  ship,  yet  she  had  not  steerage  way ;  and  Hull  ordered 
out  the  boats,  to  pull  the  ship's  head  around  and  tow  her  out  of  range  of 
her  enemies.  At  the  same  time,  gangs  of  sailors  with  axes  cut  away  the 
woodwork  about  the  cabin  windows,  and  mounted  two  stern  guns  in 
the  cabin  and  one  on  the  upper  deck.  The  enemy,  in  the  mean  time, 
were  keeping  up  a  vigorous  fire,  but  without  effect.  Their  ships  were 
rapidly  gaining,  as  they  were  enabled  to  set  the  boats  of  the  whole 
squadron  to  towing  the  two  foremost  vessels.  Hull  saw  that  some  new 
means  of  getting  ahead  must  be  devised. 

Soundings  were  taken,  and  the  ship  found  to  be  in  twenty-six  fathoms 
of  water.  All  the  available  rope  in  the  ship  was  then  bent  on  to  a 
kedge  and  carried  far  ahead,  when  the  kedge  was  lowered  to  the  bottom. 
The  sailors  then  shipped  their  capstan-bars,  and  tramped  about  the 
capstan,  until  the  ship  was  dragged  up  to  the  kedge,  which  was  then 
hoisted  and  again  carried  ahead  and  let  fall.  This  manoeuvre  was 
repeated  several  times  with  marked  success  ;  for  the  "  Constitution  "  was 
rapidly  drawing  away  from  her  pursuers,  who  could  not  discover  her 
means  of  propulsion.  Out  of  sight  of  land  as  they  were,  the  British 
did  not  for  some  time  suspect  the  true  cause  of  the  sudden  speed  of  the 
fugitive.  When,  after  long  scrutiny  through  their  marine-glasses,  they 
finally  did  discover  the  stratagem,  the  "  Constitution "  was  far  ahead; 
and  though  the  pursuers  adopted  the  same  device,  yet  their  awkwardness 
was  so  great,  that  even  the  superior  force  they  were  enabled  to  employ 
did  not  bring  them  up  to  their  chase. 

While  the  ships  were  thus  being  urged  on  by  towing,  kedging,  and 
occasionally  by  sweeps,  an  intermittent  fire  was  kept  up  by  the  British, 
and  responded  to  by  the  "  Constitution  "  from  her  stern  ports.  The  guns 
which  had  been  mounted  by  the  Americans  in  the  cabin,  they  were  soon 
forced  to  abandon,  as  the  explosions  threatened  to  blow  out  the  whole 
stern  frame.  With  the  stern-chasers  on  the  gun-deck,  however,  a  constant 
fire  was  maintained,  in  the  hopes  of  crippling  the  enemy  by  a  lucky  shot. 

For  more  than  forty-eight  hours  the  chase  maintained  this  aspect  of 
monotony.  A  dead  calm  prevailed  the  greater  part  of  the  time.  Occa 
sionally,  light  breezes  filled  the  sails,  and  wafted  the  ships  ahead  for  a 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  297 

few  minutes ;  then,  dying  away,  left  the  sea  unruffled,  and  the  sails  flap 
ping  idly  against  the  masts.  British  historians  concur  with  those  of  our 
own  country,  in  saying  that  the  "  Constitution,"  in  seizing  the  advan 
tages  of  the  breeze,  showed  far  better  seamanship  than  did  her  enemies. 
While  the  British  vessels  lay  to,  to  pick  up  their  boats,  the  "  Constitution  " 
forged  ahead,  picking  up  her  boats  while  under  way.  Later  in  the  chase, 
tiie  British  totally  abandoned  their  boats,  and,  when  the  American 
fiigate  had  fairly  escaped  them,  went  about  for  some  days  picking  up 
such  boats  as  were  found  drifting  on  the  broad  ocean. 

The  morning  of  the  second  day  of  the  chase  dawned  with  a  light 
breeze  ruffling  the  water,  and  filling  out  the  sails  of  the  ships.  Before 
the  breeze  died  away,  which  it  did  in  a  few  hours,  the  "  Constitution  " 
had  gained  on  her  pursuers  so  that  she  led  them  by  more  than  four 
miles.  Then  the  calm  again  held  the  ships  quiet ;  and  again  the  Ameri 
cans  saw  their  enemies  closing  in  upon  them  by  the  aid  of  sweeps,  and 
towing  with  their  boats.  There  was  little  rest  for  the  crew  of  the 
American  frigate.  On  the  gun-deck,  about  the  carriages  of  the  grea 
cannon,  lay  such  of  the  men  as  were  not  assigned  to  duty  in  the  boats 
or  at  the  capstan.  Wearied  with  the  constant  strain,  they  fell  asleep  as 
soon  as  relieved  from  active  duty ;  -  though  they  knew  that  from  that 
sleep  they  might  be  awakened  to  plunge  into  the  fierce  excitement  of 
dasperate  battle.  Exhausted  as  the  men  were,  their  officers  were  forced 
to  endure  a  still  more  fearful  strain.  No  sleep  came  to  the  eyelids  of 
Capt.  Hull,  throughout  the  chase.  Now  encouraging  the  men,  now 
planning  a  new  ruse  to  deceive  the  enemy,  ever  watchful  of  the  pursu 
ing  ships,  and  ready  to  take  advantage  of  the  slightest  breath  of  air, 
Capt.  Hull  and  his  able  first  lieutenant  Morris  Showed  such  seamanship 
as  extorted  admiration  even  from  the  British,  who  were  being  baffled 
by  their  nautical  skill. 

By  skilful  manoeuvring,  the  Americans  managed  to  keep  to  the  wind 
ward  of  their  enemies  throughout  the  chase ;  and  to  this  fact  the  success 
of  Capt.  Hull's  most  astute  stratagem  was  due.  Ever  alert  for  any  sign 
of  a  coming  breeze,  he  saw  on  the  water  far  to  windward  that  rippling 
appearance  that  betokens  the  coming  of  a  puff.  Hull  determined  to  utilize 
it  for  himself,  and,  if  possible,  trick  the  British  so  that  they  would  lose 
all  benefit  of  the  breeze.  The  clouds  that  were  coming  up  to  windward 


298  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

seemed  to  threaten  a  squall,  and  driving  sheets  of  rain  were  rapidly 
advancing  toward  the  ship.  With  great  ostentation,  the  "  Constitution " 
was  made  ready  for  a  severe  gale.  The  enemy  could  see  the  nimble 
sailors  taking  in  sail,  and  furling  all  the  lighter  canvas.  Then  the  driv 
ing  rain  swept  over  the  ship,  and  she  was  shut  out  of  sight.  Immediately 
all  was  activity  in  the  tops  of  the  British  frigates.  Reefs  were  rapidly  taken 
in  the  larger  sails,  while  many  were  closely  furled.  All  forsook  their  course, 
and  steered  in  different  directions  in  preparation  for  the  coming  squall, 
which,  indeed,  was  far  less  violent  than  the  action  of  the  "  Constitution  " 
seemed  to  indicate.  But  the  shrewd  Yankees  on  that  craft,  protected  from 
spying  British  eyes  by  the  heavy  rain,  were  now  shaking  out  the  reefs  they 
had  just  set ;  and  under  full  sail  the  ship  was  soon  flying  away  towards 
home.  After  an  hour  of  driving  thunder-shower,  the  clouds  passed  by ;  and 
the  wall-like  edge  of  the  shower  could  be  seen  moving  rapidly  away  before 
the  wind.  The  tars  on  the  "  Constitution "  watched  eagerly  to  see  the 
British  fleet  appear.  Farther  and  farther  receded  the  gray  curtain,  and  yet 
no  ships  could  be  seen.  "  Where  are  they  ? "  was  the  thought  of  every 
eager  watcher  on  the  deck  of  the  "Constitution."  At  last  they  appeared, 
so  far  in  the  distance  as  to  be  practically  out  of  the  chase.  Two  were  even 
hull  down  ;  while  one  was  barely  visible,  a  mere  speck  on  the  horizon. 

Though  now  hopelessly  distanced,  the  British  did  not  give  up  the  pur 
suit,  but  held  valiantly  on  after  the  American  frigate.  She  had  so  long 
been  within  their  very  grasp  that  it  was  a  bitter  disappointment  for  them  to 
be  balked  of  their  prey.  But,  as  the  wind  now  held,  the  American  gained  on 
them  so  rapidly  that  at  last  they  unwillingly  abandoned  the  chase ;  and,  dis 
banding  the  fleet,  each  ship  set  off  on  an  individual  cruise,  in  the  hopes  that 
the  enemy  which  had  shown  such  ability  in  flight  when  overpowered  would 
not  deign  to  fly  if  encountered  by  a  single  hostile  ship.  This  expectation 
was  fully  realized  some  weeks  later,  when  the  "  Constitution  "  fell  in  with  the 
British  frigate  "Guerriere." 

Thus,  after  a  chase  of  more  than  sixty-four  hours,  the  "  Constitution  " 
evaded  her  pursuers,  and  made  her  way  to  Boston.  Although  they  reaped 
no  glory  by  their  labors,  the  British  did  not  come  out  of  the  chase  alto 
gether  empty-handed.  As  the  course  of  the  vessels  was  along  the  New 
England  coast,  they  were  in  the  direct  path  of  American  commerce  ;  and 
more  than  one  wretched  coaster  fell  into  their  clutches.  At  one  time,  a 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  299 

fine,  full-rigged  ship,  flying  the  stars  and  stripes,  came  within  sight ;  and 
the  British,  to  lure  her  to  her  destruction,  hoisted  the  American  flag 
over  all  their  vessels.  But  Hull  was  a  match  for  them  at  strategy ;  and 
he  promptly  set  the  British  colors  at  his  masthead,  and  began  so  vigor 
ous  a  cannonade  that  the  stranger  concluded  that  a  merchantman  had 
no  business  in  that  quarter,  even  though  the  Americans  did  appear  to 
be  rather  in  the  majority. 

By  his  able  seamanship  in  this  chase  Capt.  Hull  gained  for  himself  a 
national  reputation.  The  newspapers  of  the  day  vied  with  each  other  in 
pointing  out  the  manoeuvres  in  which  he  had  excelled  his  enemies,  —  how 
he  had  picked  up  his  boats  while  under  way,  though  the  enemy  were 
forced  to  cut  theirs  adrift ;  how  he  had  come  out  of  the  chase  without 
injury,  and  after  parting  with  only  a  few  gallons  of  water,  though  a  less 
cool-headed  commander  would  have  thrown  overboard  guns,  ammunition, 
and  every  thing  movable,  in  the  face  of  so  great  a  danger.  A  modest 
sailor,  as  well  as  a  skilful  one,  Capt.  Hull  showed  himself  to  be ;  for 
while  the  popular  adulation  was  at  its  height,  he  inserted  a  card  in  the 
books  of  the  Exchange  Coffee-House  at  Boston,  begging  his  friends  to 
"  make  a  transfer  of  a  great  part  of  their  good  wishes  to  Lieut.  Morris  and 
the  other  brave  officers  and  crew  under  his  command,  for  their  very  great 
exertions  and  prompt  attention  to  orders  while  the  enemy  were  in  chase." 

Leaving  the  "  Constitution "  thus  snugly  in  port  at  Boston,  we  will 
turn  aside  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  a  ship,  which,  though  belated  in 
getting  out  to  sea,  yet  won  the  honor  of  capturing  the  first  British  war- 
vessel  taken  during  the  war. 

When  Commodore  Rodgers  set  sail  from  New  York  with  his  squadron, 
in  the  fruitless  pursuit  of  the  fleet  of  Jamaica  men,  he  left  in  the  harbor 
the  small  frigate  "  Essex,"  under  the  command  of  Capt.  David  Porter. 
The  ship  was  thoroughly  dismantled,  —  stripped  of  her  rigging,  her  hold 
broken  out,  and  provided  neither  with  armament,  ammunition,  nor  crew. 
Her  captain,  however,  was  a  man  of  indomitable  energy ;  and  by  dint  of 
much  hard  work,  and  constant  appeals  to  the  authorities  at  Washington, 
he  managed  to  get  his  ship  in  order,  and  leave  the  harbor  within  a  fort 
night  after  the  departure  of  the  squadron  under  Rodgers's  command. 

The  "Essex"  was  a  small  frigate,  lightly  sparred,  rating  as  a  thirty- 

two-gun    ship,    but    mounting   twenty-six    guns    only,    of    which    six   were 
11 


300  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

twelve-pounders,  and  the  remainder  carronades  of  thirty-two  pounds.  A 
carronade  is  a  short  cannon  of  large  calibre,  but  of  very  short  range. 
Capt.  Porter  protested  vigorously  against  being  furnished  with  a  battery 
so  useless  except  at  close  quarters  :  but  his  protests  were  unheeded ;  and 
the  "Essex"  put  to  sea,  trusting  to  her  ability  to  get  alongside  the  enemy, 
where  her  carronades  would  be  of  some  use. 

Among  the  midshipmen  who  bunked,  messed,  and  skylarked  together 
in  the  steerage  of  the  "  Essex,"  was  one  lad  whose  name  in  later  days 
was  to  be  inscribed  on  the  roll  of  the  greatest  naval  heroes  of  history. 
David  Glasgow  Farragut  was  a  child  of  seven  years  of  age  when  he  was 
adopted  by  Capt.  Porter,  and  began  his  training  for  a  naval  career.  In 
1810  the  boy  secured  his  appointment  of  midshipman  ;  and  now,  in  1812, 
we  find  him  enrolled  among  the  "young  gentlemen"  who  followed  the 
fortunes  of  the  "Essex."  In  those  days  the  midshipmen  were  often  mere 
boys.  Farragut  himself  was  then  but  eleven  years  old.  But,  boys  as  they 
were,  they  ordered  the  hardy  old  tars  about,  and  strutted  the  streets 
when  on  shore-leave,  with  all  the  dignity  of  veterans. 

That  the  discipline  of  the  "  Essex  "  was  of  the  strictest,  and  that  the 
efficiency  of  her  crew  was  above  criticism,  we  have  the  testimony  of 
Farragut  himself  to  prove.  "Every  day,"  he  writes,  "the  crew  were 
exercised  at  the  great  guns,  small  arms,  and  single  stick ;  and  I  may 
here  mention  the  fact,  that  I  have  never  been  on  a  ship  where  the 
crew  of  the  old  "  Essex "  was  represented,  but  that  I  found  them  to  be 
the  best  swordsmen  on  board.  They  had  been  so  thoroughly  trained  as 
boarders,  that  every  man  was  prepared  for  such  an  emergency,  with  his 
cutlass  as  sharp  as  a  razor,  a  dirk  made  by  the  ship's  armorer  out  of  a 
file,  and  a  pistol." 

Hardly  were  the  Highlands  of  Navesink  lost  to  sight  below  the  hori- 
zon,  when  Porter  began  to  receive  evidences  that  his  cruise  was  to  be  a 
lucky  one.  Several  brigs  were  captured,  and  sent  into  New  York ;  but 
the  tars  of  the  "  Essex "  were  beginning  to  grow  weary  of  small  game, 
and  hoped,  each  time  a  sail  was  sighted,  that  it  might  be  a  British  man- 
of-war.  At  last  a  small  squadron  hove  into  sight,  the  appearance  of  which 
seemed  to  indicate  that  the  jackies  might  smell  gunpowder  to  their  hearts* 
content  before  the  next  day. 

It    was  late    at    night  when    the    strange    fleet    was    sighted ;  and    the 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  301 


"  Essex "  was  soon  running  down  upon  them,  before  a  fresh  breeze. 
Although  the  moon  was  out,  its  light  was  obscured  by  dense  masses  of 
cloud,  that  were  driven  rapidly  across  the  sky ;  while  over  the  water  hung 
a  light  haze,  that  made  difficult  the  discovery  of  objects  at  any  distance. 
The  "  Essex "  soon  came  near  enough  to  the  squadron  to  ascertain  that 
it  was  a  fleet  of  British  merchantmen  and  transports  convoyed  by  a 
frigate  and  bomb-vessel.  The  frigate  was  at  the  head  of  the  line ;  and 
the  "  Essex,"  carefully  concealing  her  hostile  character,  clapped  on  all 
sail  and  pressed  forward,  in  the  hopes  of  bringing  on  an  action.  After 
passing  the  hindermost  transport,  however,  the  American  ship  was  hailed 
by  a  second  transport,  which  soon  suspected  her  hostile  character  and 
threatened  to  give  the  alarm.  Instantly  the  ports  of  the  "  Essex "  were 
knocked  out,  the  guns  trained  on  the  enemy,  and  the  transport  was 
ordered  to  haul  out  of  the  line  at  once,  and  silently,  under  penalty 
of  being  fired  into.  The  defenceless  ship  complied,  and  was  at  once 
taken  possession  of,  and  the  soldiers  on  board  were  transferred  to  the 
"  Essex."  This  operation  took  so  much  time,  that,  by  the  time  it  was 
concluded,  day  dawned  over  the  ocean;  and  the  attack  upon  the  British 
frigate  was  abandoned. 

Again  the  "  Essex "  continued  her  cruise  in  search  of  an  enemy- 
worthy  of  her  metal.  For  two  or  three  days  she  beat  about  the  ocean 
in  the  usual  track  of  ships,  without  sighting  a  single  sail.  The  ship 
had  been  so  disguised,  that  the  keenest-eyed  lookout  would  never  have 
taken  her  for  a  ship-of-war.  The  top-gallant  masts  were  housed,  the 
ports  of  the  gun-deck  closed  in,  and  her  usually  trim  cordage  and  nicely 
squared  yards  were  now  set  in  a  way  that  only  the  most  shiftless  of 
merchant  skippers  would  tolerate.  Not  many  days  passed  before  the 
enemy  fell  into  the  trap  thus  set  for  him. 

When  on  the  I3th  of  August  Capt.  Porter  learned  that  a  sail  to 
windward,  apparently  a  British  man-of-war,  was  bearing  down  upon  the 
"  Essex,"  he  carried  his  little  bit  of  acting  still  further.  Instead  of  the 
great  crowd  of  agile  sailors  that  spring  into  the  rigging  of  a  man-of-war, 
at  the  order  to  make  sail,  only  a  handful,  in  obedience  to  Porter's  orders, 
awkwardly  set  on  the  "  Essex "  all  the  sail  she  would  carry.  Two  long, 
heavy  cables  dragging  in  the  water  astern  so  retarded  the  ship,  that  the 
stranger,  coming  down  gallantly,  thought  he  had  fallen  in  with  a  lumber 


302  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

ing  old  American  merchantman,  which  was  making  frantic,  but  futile, 
efforts  to  escape. 

Had  the  British  captain  been  able  to  look  behind  the  closed  ports  of 
the  "Essex,"  he  would  have  formed  a  very  different  idea  of  the  charac 
ter  of  his  chase.  He  would  have  seen  a  roomy  gun-deck,  glistening  with 
that  whiteness  seen  only  on  the  decks  of  well-kept  men-of-war.  Down 
either  side  of  the  deck  stretched  a  row  of  heavy  carronades,  each  with 
its  crew  of  gunners  grouped  about  the  breech,  and  each  shotted  and 
primed  ready  for  the  opening  volley.  From  the  magazine  amidships, 
to  the  gun-deck,  reached  a  line  of  stewards,  waiters,  and  cooks,  ready  to 
pass  up  cartridges ;  for  on  a  man-of-war,  in  action,  no  one  is  an  idler. 
Active  boys  were  skurrying  about  the  deck,  barefooted,  and  stripped  to 
the  waist.  These  were  the  "  powder  monkeys,"  whose  duty  it  would  be, 
when  the  action  opened,  to  take  the  cartridges  from  the  line  of  powder- 
passers  and  carry  it  to  the  guns.  On  the  spar-deck,  only  a  few  sailors 
and  officers  were  visible  to  the  enemy ;  but  under  the  taffrail  lay  crouched 
scores  of  blue-uniformed  jackies,  with  smooth-faced  middies  and  veteran 
lieutenants,  ready  to  spring  into  the  rigging  at  the  word  of  command,  or 
to  swarm  over  the  side  and  board  the  enemy,  should  the  gunwales  of 
the  vessels  touch. 

All  this  preparation,  however,  was  unknown  to  the  "  Englishman," 
who  came  boldly  on,  doubting  nothing  that  the  "Essex"  would  that  day 
be  added  to  his  list  of  prizes.  As  he  drew  nearer,  the  American  sailors 
could  see  that  their  foe  was  much  their  inferior  in  size  and  armament ; 
and  the  old  tars  who  had  seen  service  before  growled  out  their  dissatis 
faction,  that  the  action  should  be  nothing  but  a  scrimmage  after  all.  In 
a  few  minutes,  the  bold  Britons  gave  three  ringing  cheers,  and  let  fly  a 
broadside  at  the  "  Essex."  In  an  instant  the  ports  of  the  sham  mer 
chantman  were  knocked  out ;  and,  with  a  war-like  thunder,  the  heavy 
carronades  hurled  their  ponderous  missiles  against  the  side  of  the 
assailant.  The  astonished  Englishmen  replied  feebly,  but  were  quickly 
driven  from  their  posts  by  the  rapidity  of  the  American  fire ;  and,  in 
eight  minutes  after  the  action  was  opened,  the  British  hauled  down  their 
flag.  The  captured  ship  proved  to  be  the  sloop-of-war  "Alert,"  mount 
ing  twenty  eighteen-pounder  carronades.  The  boarding  officer  found 
her  badly  cut  up,  and  seven  feet  of  water  in  the  hold.  The  officers 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  303 

were  transferred  to  the  "  Essex,"  and  the  "  Alert "  taken  in  tow.  Cir 
cumstances,  however,  forced  the  Americans  to  part  in  a  very  few  days. 

The  chief  cause  which  led  to  the  separation  of  the  two  vessels  was 
an  incipient  mutiny,  which  was  discovered  by  Midshipman  Farragut,  and 
was  only  averted  by  the  perfect  discipline  of  the  American  crew.  An 
exercise  to  which  the  greatest  attention  was  given  was  the  "  fire-drill." 
When  the  cry  of  fire  was  raised  on  the  ship,  every  man  seized  his  cut 
lass  and  blanket,  and  went  to  quarters  as  though  the  ship  were  about  to 
go  into  action.  Capt.  Porter  was  accustomed,  that  his  men  might  be 
well  prepared  for  any  emergency,  to  raise  this  cry  of  fire  at  all  hours  of 
the  night ;  and  often  he  caused  a  slight  smoke  to  be  created  in  the  hold, 
further  to  try  the  nerves  of  his  men.  Shortly  after  the  " Alert"  was 
captured,  and  while  the  "  Essex  "  was  crowded  with  prisoners,  some  of 
the  captives  conspired  to  seize  the  ship,  and  carry  her  to  England.  One 
night,  as  Farragut  was  sleeping  in  his  hammock,  a  strange  feeling  of 
fear  came  over  him  ;  and  he  opened  his  eyes  to  find  the  coxswain  of  the 
captain's  gig  of  the  "Alert"  standing  over  him  with  a  pistol  in  his  hand. 
The  boy  knew  him  to  be  a  prisoner,  and,  seeing  him  armed,  was  con 
vinced  that  something  was  wrong.  Expecting  every  moment  to  be  killed, 
he  lay  still  in  his  hammock,  until  the  man  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked 
away.  Then  Farragut  slipped  out,  and  ran  to  the  captain's  cabin  to  report 
the  incident.  Porter  rushed  upon  the  berth-deck  in  an  instant.  "  Fire  ! 
fire  !  "  shouted  he  at  the  top  of  his  voice  ;  and  in  an  instant  the  crew 
were  at  their  quarters,  in  perfect  order.  The  mutineers  thought  that  a 
bad  time  for  their  project,  and  it  was  abandoned.  The  next  day  the 
prisoners  were  sent  on  board  the  "  Alert,"  and  that  vessel  sent  into  St. 
Johns  as  a  cartel. 

The  capture  of  the  "Alert"  reflected  no  great  glory  upon  the  Ameri 
cans,  for  the  immense  superiority  of  the  "  Essex  "  rendered  her  success 
certain.  It  is,  however,  of  interest  as  being  the  first  capture  of  a  British 
war-vessel.  The  action  made  the  honors  easy  between  the  two  nations  ; 
fur  while  the  Americans  had  the  "Alert,"  the  British  were  captors  of 
the  brig  "Nautilus."  This  equality  was  not  of  long  duration,  however; 
for  an  action  soon  followed  which  set  all  America  wild  with  exultation. 

After  her  escape  from  the  British  fleet,  the  "Constitution"  remained 
at  Boston  only  a  few  days,  and  then  set  out  on  a  cruise  to  the  eastward 


304  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

along  the  New  England  coast.  Bad  luck  seemed  to  follow  her,  and  she 
had  reached  a  point  off  Cape  Sable  before  she  made  a  prize.  Here  two 
or  three  prizes  of  little  value  were  taken ;  and  an  English  sloop-of-war 
was  forced  to  relinquish  an  American  brig,  which  had  been  recently  cap 
tured.  Shortly  afterwards,  a  Salem  privateer  was  overhauled,  the  captain 
of  which  reported  an  English  frigate  cruising  in  the  neighborhood ;  and 
Capt.  Hull  straightway  set  out  to  discover  the  enemy. 

The  frigate  which  had  been  sighted  by  the  Salem  privateer,  and  for 
which  Hull  was  so  eagerly  seeking,  was  the  "  Guerriere,"  a  thirty-eight- 
gun  ship  commanded  by  Capt.  Dacres.  With  both  ship  and  captain, 
Capt.  Hull  had  previously  had  some  little  experience.  The  "  Guerriere  " 
was  one  of  the  ships  in  the  squadron  from  which  the  "  Constitution " 
had  so  narrowly  escaped  a  few  weeks  before,  while  Capt.  Dacres  was  an 
old  acquaintance.  A  story  current  at  the  time  relates,  that,  before  the 
war,  the  "Guerriere"  and  the  "Constitution"  were  lying  in  the  Dela 
ware ;  and  the  two  captains,  happening  to  meet  at  some  entertainment 
on  shore,  fell  into  a  discussion  over  the  merits  of  their  respective  navies. 
Although  even  then  the  cloud  of  war  was  rising  on  the  horizon,  each 
was  pleasant  and  good-natured  ;  and  the  discussion  assumed  no  more 
serious  form  than  lively  banter. 

"Well,"  said  Hull  at  last,  "you  may  just  take  good  care  of  that  ship 
of  yours,  if  ever  I  catch  her  in  the  'Constitution.'" 

Capt.  Dacres  laughed  good-humoredly,  and  offered  to  bet  a  sum  of 
money,  that  in  the  event  of  a  conflict  his  confident  friend  would  find 
himself  the  loser. 

"  No,"  said  Hull,  "  I'll  bet  no  money  on  it ;  but  I  will  stake  you  a 
hat,  that  the  '  Constitution '  comes  out  victorious." 

"Done,"  responded  Dacres;  and  the  bet  was  made.  War  was  soon 
declared  ;  and,  as  it  happened,  the  two  friends  were  pitted  against  each 
other  early  in  the  hostilities. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  American  frigate  parted  from  the  privateer 
when  the  long-drawn  hail  of  "  Sail  ho-o-o ! "  from  the  lookout  aloft 
announced  the  discovery  of  another  vessel.  The  course  of  the  "  Constitu 
tion  "  was  at  once  shaped  toward  the  stranger.  In  half  an  hour  she 
was  made  out  to  be  a  frigate,  and  from  her  actions  was  evidently  anxious 
to  come  alongside  the  American  ship.  As  more  than  an  hour  must  elapse 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  305 

before  the  ships  could  come  together,  Capt.  Hull  made  his  preparations 
for  action  with  the  greatest  deliberation.  The  top-gallant  sails  were  furled, 
and  the  lighter  spars  lowered  to  the  deck.  Through  their  glasses,  tne 
officers  could  see  the  enemy  making  similar  preparations,  and  waiting 
deliberately  for  the  "  Constitution  "  to  come  down. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  two  ships  were  rapidly  nearing, 
and  the  drums  on  the  American  frigate  beat  to  quarters.  Then  followed 
the  rush  of  barefooted  men  along  the  deck,  as  they  ran  hastily,  but  in 
perfect  order,  to  their  stations.  As  the  roll  of  the  drums  died  away,  the 
shrill  voices  of  the  boyish  midshipmen  arose,  calling  off  the  quarter-bills, 
and  answered  by  the  gruff  responses  of  the  men  at  their  posts.  Every 
man,  from  the  cook  to  the  captain,  knew  his  place,  and  hurried  to  it. 
The  surgeon,  with  his  assistants,  descended  to  the  cock-pit.  The  carpenter 
and  his  mates  made  ready  their  felt-covered  plugs,  for  stopping  holes  made 
by  the  enemy's  shot.  The  topmen  clambered  to  their  posts  in  the  rigging, 
led  by  the  midshipmen  who  were  to  command  them.  The  line  of  powder- 
passers  was  formed ;  and  the  powder-monkeys  gave  up  skylarking,  and 
began  to  look  sober  at  the  thought  of  the  business  in  hand. 

The  "  Guerriere "  was  not  behindhand  in  her  preparations  for  action. 
Capt.  Dacres  had  suspected  the  character  of  the  American  vessel,  from 
the  first  moment  she  had  been  sighted.  On  board  the  English  frigate 
was  Capt.  William  B.  Orne,  a  Marblehead  sailor  who  had  been  captured 
by  the  "  Guerriere  "  some  days  before.  "  Capt.  Dacres  seemed  anxious  to 
ascertain  her  character,"  wrote  Capt.  Orne,  shortly  after  the  battle,  "and 
after  looking  at  her  for  that  purpose,  handed  me  his  spy-glass,  requesting 
me  to  give  him  my  opinion  of  the  stranger.  I  soon  saw,  from  the  pecul 
iarity  of  her  sails  and  her  general  appearance,  that  she  was  without 
doubt  an  American  frigate,  and  communicated  the  same  to  Capt.  Dacres. 
He  immediately  replied,  that  he  thought  she  came  down  too  boldly  for 
an  American ;  but  soon  after  added,  '  The  better  he  behaves,  the  more 
credit  we  shall  gain  by  taking  him.' 

"  The  two  ships  were  rapidly  approaching  each  other,  when  the  '  Guer 
riere  '  backed  her  main  topsail,  and  waited  for  her  opponent  to  come 
down  and  commence  the  action.  He  then  set  an  English  flag  at  each 
masthead,  beat  to  quarters,  and  made  ready  for  the  fight. 

"  When  the  strange  frigate  came  down  to  within  two  or  three  miles 


306  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

distant,  he  hauled  upon  the  wind,  took  in  all  his  light  sails,  reefed  his 
topsails,  and  deliberately  prepared  for  action.  It  was  now  about  five  in 
the  afternoon,  when  he  filled  away  and  ran  down  for  the  'Guerriere.' 
At  this  moment  Capt.  Dacres  said  politely  to  me,  '  Capt.  Orne,  as  I 
suppose  you  do  not  wish  to  fight  against  your  own  countrymen,  you  are 
at  liberty  to  retire  below  the  water-line.'  It  was  not  long  after  this, 
before  I  retired  from  the  quarter-deck  to  the  cock-pit."  It  may  be  well 
here  to  supplement  Capt.  Orne's  narrative  by  the  statement  that  Capt. 
Dacres,  with  a  chivalric  sense  of  justice  not  common  in  the  British  navy 
of  that  day,  allowed  ten  American  sailors  who  had  been  impressed  into 
his  crew  to  leave  their  quarters  and  go  below,  that  they  might  not  fight 
against  their  country.  Though  an  enemy,  he  was  both  gallant  and 
generous. 

The  action  was  opened  by  the  "  Guerriere "  with  her  weather  broad 
side  ;  the  shot  of  which  all  falling  short,  she  wore  around,  and  let  fly 
her  port  broadside,  sending  most  of  the  shot  through  her  enemy's  rigging, 
though  two  took  effect  in  the  hull.  In  response  to  this,  the  "  Constitu 
tion  "  yawed  a  little,  and  fired  two  or  three  of  her  bow-guns  ;  after  which 
the  "  Guerriere"  again  opened  with  broadsides.  In  this  way  the  battle 
continued  for  about  an  hour ;  the  American  ship  saving  her  fire,  and 
responding  to  the  heavy  broadsides  with  an  occasional  shot. 

During  this  ineffectual  firing,  the  two  ships  were  continually  drawing 
nearer  together,  and  the  gunners  on  the  "  Constitution  "  were  becoming 
more  and  more  restive  under  their  inaction.  Capt.  Hull  was  pacing  the 
quarter-deck  with  short,  quick  steps,  trying  to  look  cool,  but  inwardly  on 
fire  with  excitement.  As  the  shot  of  the  enemy  began  to  take  effect, 
and  the  impatience  of  the  gunners  grew  more  intense,  Lieut.  Morris,  the 
second  in  command,  asked  leave  to  respond  with  a  broadside. 

"Not  yet,"  responded  Capt.  Hull  with  cool  decision.  Some  minutes 
later,  the  request  was  repeated,  and  met  with  the  same  response,  while 
the  captain  never  ceased  his  pacing  of  the  deck.  When  within  about 
half  pistol-shot,  another  broadside  came  from  the  "Guerriere."  Then  the 
smothered  excitement  in  Hull's  breast  broke  out. 

"Now,  boys,  pour  it  into  them!"  he  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  lungs, 
gesticulating  with  such  violence  that  the  tight  breeches  of  his  naval 
uniform  split  clear  down  the  side.  Lieut.  Morris  seconded  the  captain 
in  cheering  on  the  crew. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


307 


"  Hull  her,  boys  !  Hull  her !  "  he  shouted  ;  and  the  crew,  catching 
up  the  cry,  made  the  decks  ring  with  shouts  of  "  Hull  her !  "  as  they 
rapidly  loaded  and  let  fly  again. 

The  effect  of  their  first  broadside  was  terrific.  Deep  down  in  the 
cock-pit  of  the  "  Guerriere,"  Capt.  Orne,  who  had  been  listening  to 
the  muffled  thunder  of  the  cannonade  at  long  range,  suddenly  "heard  a 
tremendous  explosion  from  the  opposing  frigate.  The  effect  of  her  shot 
seemed  to  make  the  'Guerriere'  reel  and  tremble,  as  though  she  had 


"HULL  HER,   BOYS!" 


received  the  shock  of  an  earthquake.  Immediately  after  this,  I  heard  a 
tremendous  shock  on  deck,  and  was  told  that  the  mizzen-mast  was  shot 
away.  In  a  few  moments  afterward,  the  cock-pit  was  filled  with  wounded 
men." 

Though  in  his  retreat  in  the  cock-pit  the  captive  American  could  hear 
the  roar  of  the  cannon,  and  see  the  ghastly  effects  of  the  flying  missiles, 
he  could  form  but  a  small  idea  of  the  fury  of  the  conflict  which  was 
raging  over  his  head.  Stripped  to  the  waist,  and  covered  with  the  stains 


308  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

of  powder  and  of  blood,  the  gunners  on  the  two  ships  pulled  fiercely  at 
the  gun-tackle,  and  wielded  the  rammers  with  frantic  energy ;  then  let 
fly  the  death-dealing  bolt  into  the  hull  of  an  enemy  only  a  few  yards 
distant.  The  ships  were  broadside  to  broadside,  when  the  Englishman's 
mizzen-mast  was  shot  away,  and  fell,  throwing  the  topmen  far  out  into 
the  sea.  The  force  of  the  great  spar  falling  upon  the  deck  made  a  great 
breach  in  the  quarter  of  the  ship ;  and,  while  the  sailors  were  clearing 
away  the  wreck,  the  ''Constitution"  drew  slowly  ahead,  pouring  in  several 
destructive  broadsides,  and  then  luffed  slowly,  until  she  lay  right  athwart 
the  enemy's  bow.  While  in  this  position,  the  long  bowsprit  of  the 
"Guerriere"  stretched  far  across  the  quarter-deck  of  the  American  ship, 
and  was  soon  fouled  in  the  mizzen-rigging  of  the  latter  vessel.  Then  the 
two  ships  swung  helplessly  around,  so  that  the  bow  of  the  Englishman 
lay  snugly  against  the  port-quarter  of  the  Yankee  craft.  Instantly,  from 
the  deck  of  each  ship  rang  out  the  short,  sharp  blare  of  the  bugle,  calling 
away  the  boarders,  who  sprang  from  their  guns,  seized  their  heavy  boarding 
caps  and  cutlasses,  and  rushed  to  the  side.  But  a  heavy  sea  was  rolling 
and  tossing  the  two  frigates,  so  that  boarding  seemed  impossible ;  and,  as 
Dacres  saw  the  crowd  of  men  ready  to  receive  his  boarders,  he  called 
them  back  to  the  guns.  Although  each  party  stuck  to  its  own  ship,  the 
fighting  was  almost  hand  to  hand.  Pistols  were  freely  used ;  and  from 
the  tops  rained  down  a  ceaseless  hail  of  leaden  missiles,  one  of  which 
wounded  Capt.  Dacres  slightly.  So  near  to  each  other  were  the  com 
batants,  that  the  commands  and  the  cries  of  rage  and  pain  could  be 
heard  above  the  deep-toned  thunder  of  the  great  guns  and  the  ceaseless 
rattle  of  the  musketry.  The  protruding  muzzles  of  the  guns  often  touched 
the  sides  of  the  opposing  ship  ;  and  when  the  cannon  were  drawn  in  for 
loading,  the  sailors  on  either  side  thrust  muskets  and  pistols  through  the 
ports,  and  tried  to  pick  off  the  enemy  at  his  guns. 

While  the  fight  was  thus  raging,  a  cry  of  "  Fire ! "  horrified  every 
one  on  the  "  Constitution."  Flames  were  seen  coming  from  the  windows 
of  the  cabin,  which  lay  directly  beneath  the  bow-guns  of  the  "  Guerriere." 
The  fire  had  been  set  by  the  flash  from  the  enemy's  cannon,  so  close 
were  the  two  ships  together.  By  the  strenuous  exertions  of  the  men  on 
duty  in  the  cabin,  the  flames  were  extinguished,  and  this,  the  greatest  of 
all  dangers,  averted.  Shortly  after,  the  gun  which  had  caused  the  trouble 
disabled  by  a  skilful  shot  from  one  of  the  Yankee's  guns. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  309 

While  the  flames  in  the  cabin  were  being  extinguished,  the  Americans 
were  making  a  valiant  attempt  to  board  and  Lieut.  Morris  with  his  own 
hands  was  attempting  to  lash  the  two  ships  together.  Abandoning  this 
attempt,  he  leaped  upon  the  taffrail,  and  called  upon  his  men  to  follow 
him.  Lieut.  Bush  of  the  marines,  and  Mr.  Alwyn,  were  soon  at  the  side 
of  the  intrepid  officer,  when,  at  a  sudden  volley  of  musketry  from  the 
British,  all  three  fell  back,  poor  Bush  dead,  and  the  two  others  badly 
wounded.  The  ships  then  drifted  asunder;  and  the  "  Guerriere's  "  foremast 
was  shot  away,  and  dragged  down  the  mainmast  with  it  in  its  fall.  The 
shattered  ship  now  lay  a  shapeless  hulk,  tossing  on  the  waves,  but  still 
keeping  a  British  ensign  defiantly  flying  from  the  stump  of  her  fallen 
mizzen-mast. 

The  "Constitution"  drew  away,  firing  continually,  and  soon  secured 
a  raking  position ;  seeing  which,  the  British  hauled  down  their  colors. 
Lieut.  Read  was  sent  on  board  the  prize,  and,  on  the  appearance  of  Capt. 
Dacres,  said,  — 

"Capt.  Hull  presents  his  compliments,  sir,  and  wishes  to  know  if  you 
have  struck  your  flag." 

Dacres  looked  significantly  at  the  shattered  masts  of  his  ship,  and 
responded  dryly, — 

"Well,  I  don't  know.  Our  mizzen-mast  is  gone,  our  main-mast  is  gone; 
and  I  think,  on  the  whole,  you  may  say  that  we  have  struck  our  flag." 

After  looking  about  the  ship,  the  boarding  officer  stepped  to  the  side, 
to  return  to  his  own  vessel.  Before  leaving,  he  said  to  Capt.  Dacres, — 

"Would  you  like  the  assistance  of  a  surgeon,  or  surgeon's  mate,  in 
caring  for  your  wounded  ?  " 

Dacres  looked  surprised,  and  responded, — 

"Well,  I  should  suppose  you  had  on  board  your  own  ship  business 
enough  for  all  your  medical  officers." 

"Oh,  no!"  answered  Read.  "We  have  only  seven  wounded,  and  they 
have  been  dressed  long  ago." 

Dacres  was  astounded,  as  well  he  might  be ;  for  on  the  decks  of  his 
ship  lay  twenty-three  dead  or  mortally  wounded  men,  while  the  surgeons 
were  doing  their  best  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  fifty-six  wounded,  among 
whom  were  several  officers.  Indeed,  the  ship  looked  like  a  charnel-house. 
When  Capt.  Orne,  freed  by  the  result  of  the  battle,  came  on  deck,  he 


310  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

saw  a  sight  that  he  thus  describes  :  "  At  about  half-past  seven  o'clock,  I 
went  on  deck,  and  there  beheld  a  scene  which  it  would  be  difficult  to 
describe.  All  the  '  Guerriere's '  masts  were  shot  away;  and,  as  she  had 
no  sails  to  steady  her,  she  was  rolling  like  a  log  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea.  Many  of  the  men  were  employed  in  throwing  the  dead  overboard 
The  decks  were  covered  with  blood,  and  had  the  appearance  of  a  ship's 
slaughter-house.  The  gun-tackles  were  not  made  fast  ;  and  several  of  the 
guns  got  loose,  and  were  surging  from  one  side  to  the  other.  Some  of 
the  petty  officers  and  seamen  got  liquor,  and  were  intoxicated  ;  and  what 
with  the  groans  of  the  wounded,  the  noise  and  confusion  of  the  enraged 
survivors  on  board  of  the  ill-fated  ship,  rendered  the  whole  scene  a  perfect 
hell." 

For  some  time  after  the  "Guerriere"  had  been  formally  taken  posses 
sion  of,  it  seemed  as  though  the  •"  Constitution"  would  have  to  fight  a 
second  battle,  to  keep  possession  of  her  prize.  A  strange  sail  was  seen 
upon  the  horizon,  bearing  down  upon  the  "  Constitution  "  in  a  way  that 
seemed  to  threaten  hostilities.  Again  the  drums  beat  to  quarters,  and 
once  again  the  tired  crew  went  to  their  stations  at  the  guns.  But  the 
strange  ship  sheered  off,  and  the  gallant  crew  were  not  forced  to  fight  a 
second  battle.  All  hands  then  set  to  work  to  remove  the  prisoners  from 
the  "Guerriere,"  which  was  evidently  in  a  sinking  condition. 

Ln  the  first  boat-load  from  the  sinking  ship  came  Capt.  Dacres,  who 
was  politely  shown  into  Capt.  Hull's  cabin.  Unclasping  his  sword  from 
its  place  at  his  hip,  the  conquered  seaman  handed  it  silently  to  Capt. 
Hull.  The  victor  put  it  gently  back,  saying,  — 

"No,  no,  captain:  I'll  not  take  a  sword  from  one  who  knows  so  well 
how  to  use  it.  But  I  will  trouble  you  for  that  hat." 

For  a  moment  a  shade  of  perplexity  passed  over  the  brow  of  the 
British  captain  ;  then  he  recollected  the  wager  of  a  year  or  two  before, 
and  all  was  clear  again.  Unfortunately,  the  veracious  chronicler  who 
has  handed  this  anecdote  down  to  modern  times  has  failed  to  state 
whether  the  debt  was  duly  paid. 

After  some  hours  of  hard  work  with  the  boats,  the  last  of  the 
prisoners,  with  their  effects,  were  brought  on  board  the  "Constitution." 
Torches  were  then  set  to  the  abandoned  frigate  ;  and  the  sailors  watched 
her  blaze,  until  the  fire  reached  her  magazine,  and  she  vanished  in  the 


BLUE -JACKETS   OF    1812.  311 

midst  of  a  tremendous  explosion.  Then,  leaving  behind  her  the  floating 
mass  of  ruin,  the  "  Constitution  "  headed  for  Boston,  where  she  arrived 
after  a  few  days  of  sailing. 

Great  was  the  excitement  and  exultation  aroused  among  the  people 
by  the  arrival  of  the  noble  ship  with  her  prisoners.  She  had,  indeed, 
come  at  a  time  when  the  public  mind  required  cheering;  for  from  the 
interior  came  the  reports  of  British  successes  by  land,  along  the  Canadian 
frontier  about  Detroit,  and  for  weeks  the  papers  had  been  unable  to 
record  any  success  for  the  American  arms.  But  the  report  of  the 
engagement  with  the  "  Guerriere "  changed  wholly  the  tide  of  popular 
feeling.  Boston — the  city  which  at  the  declaration  of  war  had  hung  its 
flags  at  half-mast,  in  token  of  mourning  and  humiliation  —  Boston  wel 
comed  the  conquerors  with  an  ovation  like  to  a  triumph  in  the  days  of 
imperial  Rome. 

When  the  ship  came  up  the  harbor,  she  was  met  and  surrounded 
by  a  great  flotilla  of  gayly  decorated  boats  ;  while  the  flags  on  the  sur 
rounding  vessels  were  dipped  in  salutation  as  the  war-scarred  veteran 
made  her  stately  way  to  the  wharf.  Here  a  volunteer  artillery  company 
was  assembled ;  and,  as  the  ship  came  up,  they  fired  a  national  salute, 
which  was  returned  from  the  guns  so  lately  employed  in  defending  the 
national  honor.  Quarters  had  been  prepared  for  Capt.  Hull  in  the  city ; 
and,  as  he  landed,  he  found  the  streets  through  which  he  must  pass 
decked  with  bright  bunting,  and  crowded  with  people.  His  progress  was 
accompanied  by  a  great  wave  of  cheers  ;  for,  as  the  people  saw  him  com 
ing,  they  set  up  a  shout,  which  was  not  ended  until  he  had  passed  from 
sight.  At  night  came  a  grand  banquet  to  the  officers  of  the  ship,  at 
which  six  hundred  sat  down  to  the  feast.  The  freedom  of  the  city  was 
presented  to  the  captain ;  and  at  a  later  date  came  the  news  of  sword  pres 
entations  from  citizens  of  New  York,  plate  from  the  people  of  Philadel 
phia,  and  gold  medals  from  Congress.  Amid  all  the  exultation,  the  rash 
arrogance  of  the  British  writers  was  not  forgotten  ;  and  many  a  bumper 
was  emptied  to  the  success  of  the  frigate  described  by  British  journalists 
as  "  a  bunch  of  pine  boards  under  a  bit  of  striped  bunting." 

14 


CHAPTER  V. 


AN    INTERNATIONAL    DEBATE.  — THE   "WASP"    AND    THE    "FROLIC." -THE    "UNITED 
STATES"  AND  THE  "  MACEDONIAN."  — OVATIONS  TO  THE  VICTORS. 

HE  rejoicing  over  the  success  of  the  " Constitution"  had  not 
died  away  in  the  United  States  when  the  English  newspapers 
began  to  appear  with  elaborate  articles,  showing  just  why  the 
battle  had  terminated  as  it  did  "  The  *  Constitution  '  is  the  crack 
frigate  of  the  American  navy,"  cried  the  apologists  ;  but  to  this  the  Ameri 
cans  retorted  by  quoting  the  British  description  of  the  ship  as  "a  bunch  of 
pine  boards."  The  "Guerriere"  was  ar  "old  worn-out  frigate,"  responded 
the  English,  returning  to  the  charge.  '"'  She  was  on  her  way  to  Halifax 
to  refit,  when  attacked."  Again  they  were  refuted  by  their  own  state 
ments  ;  for,  but  a  month  before,  the  "  Guerriere  "  was  said  to  be  "  able  to 
drive  the  insolent  striped  bunting  from  the  seas."  Throughout  the  dis 
cussion,  the  shrewdness  of  the  Americans  enabled  them  to  meet  the  argu 
ments  of  the  British  at  every  point ;  but  not  until  the  charge  was  made,  that 
the  "  Constitution "  was  chiefly  manned  oy  British  sailors,  did  the  people 
become  thoroughly  in  earnest  in  the  war  of  words. 
312 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  3r3 


Such  a  charge  as  this  was  adding  insult  to  injury.  Was  not  the  British 
navy  full  of  Americans  who  were  forced  against  their  will  to  serve  against 
their  own  country,  while  the  few  Englishmen  on  the  "  Constitution  "  were 
enlisted  with  their  own  consent  ?  For  Capt.  Dacres  to  say  that  his  ship 
was  weakened  by  allowing  the  ten  Americans  to  go  below,  and  then  beaten 
by  the  efforts  of  the  Englishmen  on  the  "  Constitution,"  was  merely  tanta 
mount  to  saying  that  the  victory  hinged  on  the  fact  that  Americans  would 
not  fight  against  their  own  country,  while  Englishmen  did  so  willingly.  But 
for  Great  Britain  to  exclaim  against  the  American  navy  because  it  harbored 
a  few  Englishmen,  was  the  rankest  hypocrisy.  So  said  the  American  jour 
nalists  of  the  day  ;  and,  in  support  of  their  statement,  they  printed  long  letters 
from  American  seamen  impressed  into  and  held  in  the  British  naval  service 
One  writes  that  he  was  impressed  into  his  British  Majesty's  ship  "  Peacock," 
in  1 8 10,  and  after  serving  two  years  he  heard  of  the  declaration  of  war. 
After  a  consultation  with  two  fellow-seamen,  both  Americans,  all  decided  to 
refuse  to  serve  longer,  claiming  to  be  prisoners  of  war.  But  the  captain 
under  whom  they  were  enrolled  looked  upon  the  matter  in  a  different  light. 
He  heard  their  claim,  pronounced  it  a  bit  of  "  confounded  insolence,"  and 
straightway  ordered  that  they  be  put  in  irons.  After  some  hours  for 
meditation  in  "the  brig,"  the  three  sailors  were  taken  to  the  gangway, 
stripped  naked,  and  tied  up,  while  a  sturdy  boatswain's  mate  laid  on  a 
dozen  and  a  half  blows  of  the  cat.  Later,  when  the  ship  went  into 
action  with  a  United  States  vessel,  the  three  sailors  asked  to  be  sent 
below,  that  they  might  not  fight  against  their  own  countrymen ;  but  the 
captain's  sole  response  was  to  call  up  a  midshipman,  and  order  him  to 
do  his  duty.  This  duty  proved  to  consist  in  standing  over  the  three 
malcontents  with  a  loaded  pistol,  threatening  to  blow  out  the  brains  of 
the  first  who  should  flinch  from  his  work. 

Three  sailors  were  impressed  after  the  war  had  begun.  Learning  that 
the  ship  on  which  they  found  themselves  was  to  cruise  upon  the  Ameri 
can  station,  they  with  one  accord  refused  to  serve.  The  response  to  this 
was  "five  dozen  lashes  well  laid  on."  Being  still  mutinous,  they  received 
four  dozen  lashes  two  days  later,  and  after  the  lapse  of  two  more  days 
were  flogged  with  two  dozen  more.  But  all  the  beating  to  which  they 
were  subjected  could  not  compel  them  to  serve  against  their  country; 
and  they  were  accordingly  ironed  and  thrown  into  "the  brig,"  where  they 


3 14  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

lay  for  three  months.  When  released  from  "the  brig,"  they  found  the 
ship  at  London.  Here  they  heard  of  the  glorious  victory  of  the  "Con 
stitution,"  and  determined  to  celebrate  it.  By  ripping  up  their  clothing 
into  strips,  and  sewing  the  strips  together,  a  rude  American  flag  was 
made ;  and  with  the  most  astonishing  audacity  the  three  sailors  hung  this 
emblem  over  a  gun,  and  gave  three  cheers  for  the  stars  and  stripes. 
This  naturally  brought  them  another  flogging. 

Flogging,  however,  could  not  always  be  resorted  to  in  order  to  bring 
American  sailors  into  subjection.  It  is  estimated,  that,  when  war  was 
declared,  there  were  five  times  as  many  American  seamen  in  the  British 
navy  as  were  in  the  whole  navy  of  the  United  States.  To  attempt  to 
keep  this  immense  body  of  disaffected  seamen  in  order  by  the  lash,  would 
have  been  impracticable  ;  and  soon  the  custom  arose  of  sending  the  more 
refractory  tars  into  confinement  at  some  English  prison.  Dartmoor  prison 
was  for  a  time  the  principal  place  of  detention  for  pressed  men  ;  but,  as 
it  soon  became  crowded,  it  was  given  over  to  prisoners  of  war,  and  the 
hapless  seamen  were  sent  to  languish  in  dismantled  ships,  known  as  "hulks.' 
These  hulks  were  generally  old  naval  vessels,  dismasted  and  stripped  of 
all  their  fittings.  Anchored  midstream  in  tidal  rivers,  the  rotting  hulks 
tugged  at  their  rusty  chains,  as  the  tide  rose  and  fell,  groaning  in  their 
bondage,  and  seeming  as  much  imprisoned  as  the  wretched  sailors  by 
whom  they  were  tenanted.  The  captives  lived  in  misery  and  squalor. 
Crowded  together  in  stifling  quarters  between  decks,  they  were  the  prey 
of  vermin  of  all  kinds.  Their  miserable  diet,  and  lack  of  proper  exercise, 
caused  the  scurvy  in  its  most  repulsive  forms  to  break  out  among  them. 
The  only  breath  of  fresh  air  they  could  obtain  was  when,  in  gangs,  they 
were  allowed  to  go  on  deck,  and  pace  up  and  down  under  the  watchful 
eyes  of  soldiery ;  then  back  to  the  crowded  quarters  below,  to  swelter  in 
summer  or  freeze  in  winter.  Such  was  their  punishment  for  the  crime 
of  being  loyal  to  their  country. 

Careful  estimates  show  that  at  this  time  there  were  at  least  twenty 
thousand  American  sailors  in  the  British  navy,  each  one  of  whom  was 
liable  at  any  moment  to  be  ordered  into  this  inhuman  captivity.  A 
British  official  document  of  1812  reported  that  2,548  American  seamen 
had  been  imprisoned  for  refusing  to  serve  against  their  country.  Hun 
dreds  of  these  were  sent  to  the  living  death  'in  the  hulks.  Was  it  any 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  315 

wonder  that,  with  such  facts  before  their  eyes,  Americans  grew  indignant 
at  hearing  that  the  victory  of  the  "Constitution"  had  been  won  by  the 
prowess  of  British  seamen  ?  But  before  many  days  had  passed,  a  victory 
was  recorded  for  the  stars  and  stripes,  which  not  even  the  acuteness  of 
an  English  naval  historian  could  ascribe  to  any  cause  other  than  the 
naval  superiority  of  the  victor. 

This  was  the  capture,  by  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  "Wasp,"  of 
the  British  sloop-of-war  "  Frolic,"  after  a  battle  ever  memorable  for  the 
extraordinary  dash  and  bravery  shown  by  each  combatant.  In  size,  the 
"Wasp"  was  one  of  the  inferior  vessels  of  the  United  States  navy.  In 
her  architecture  and  appointments,  however,  she  was  the  pride  of  the 
navy,  and  was  often  cited  as  a  model  ship  of  her  class.  Her  armament 
consisted  of  sixteen  thirty-two-pounder  carronades,  and  two  "  long 
twelves." 

When  the  war  broke  out,  the  "Wasp"  had  just  left  the  coast  of 
Europe,  bearing  despatches  from  the  foreign  diplomatic  representatives 
of  the  United  States  to  the  Government.  It  was  accordingly  near  the 
middle  of  October  before  the  sloop  had  been  refitted,  and,  with  a  crew 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  men,  left  the  Delaware,  on  her  first  cruise 
against  the  English.  Her  commander  was  Capt.  Jacob  Jones,  who  had 
served  in  the  war  with  Tripoli,  and  had  himself  been  a  captive  among 
the  barbarians  of  Northern  Africa. 

After  a  few  days'  cruising,  with  one  or  two  unimportant  captures,  a 
bunch  of  sails  was  sighted  at  some  distance.  The  most  careful  exami 
nation  failed  to  reveal  the  character  of  the  strangers,  and  Jones  deter 
mined  to  run  down  cautiously  toward  the  squadron,  to  reconnoitre.  The 
wind  was  blowing  fiercely  at  the  time,  and  a  heavy  sea  was  running, 
from  the  effects  of  a  gale  of  the  day  before,  in  which  the  "  Wasp  "  lost 
her  jib-boom,  together  with  two  sailors  who  were  upon  it.  As  the  vessel 
bore  down  upon  the  strangers,  Jones  could  see  through  his  marine 
glasses  that  they  were  a  convoy  of  merchantmen,  under  the  protection 
of  a  British  sloop-of-war.  The  merchantmen  were  evidently  armed,  and 
some  seemed  to  carry  as  many  as  twelve  guns.  Deeming  it  unwise  to 
ittack  at  that  moment,  Capt.  Jones  kept  on  a  course  parallel  with  that 
of  the  enemy,  during  the  remainder  of  that  day  and  through  the  night. 
With  the  break  of  day,  every  officer  of  the  "Wasp"  was  on  deck,  and  all 


3i6 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


eyes  were  turned  towards  the  quarter  in  which  the  Englishmen  should 
be  found.  There,  sure  enough,  they  were.  Six  merchant  ships  and  a 
bluff  little  brig,  the  port-holes  in  the  sides  of  which  showed  her  to  be 
a  war-vessel  rating  as  a  sloop.  Signs  of  activity  on  board  made  it 
evident  that  the  Englishmen  had  caught  sight  of  the  vessel  which  had 
been  dogging  them  for  the  last  day,  and  were  making  ready  to  give  her 
battle.  The  British,  too,  had  suffered  in  the  gale,  and  the  sailors  could  be 
seen  shipping  a  new  main-yard,  and  setting  new  topsails.  On  the  "Wasp," 


LOADING. 


the  jackies  were  hard  at  work,  getting  in  a  spar  to  take  the  place  of  the 
jib-boom,  which  had  been  lost  in  the  storm.  Both  ships  were  under  short 
canvas,  for  the  wind  was  still  high.  Instead  of  the  English  ensign,  a 
Spanish  flag  fluttered  from  the  halliards  of  the  Englishman,  —  an  unneces 
sary  ruse  to  draw  on  an  adversary  already  seeking  a  conflict. 

It  was  half-past  eleven  in  the  morning  when  the  action  began.  The 
day  was  an  ideal  October  morning  at  sea,  —  cool,  clear,  and  a  breeze  blowing 
fresh  and  constantly  stiffening.  The  two  vessels  were  running  on  the  star- 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  3T7 

board  tack,  not  sixty  yards  apart.  As  they  ploughed  through  the  waves,  great 
clouds  of  spray  dashed  over  the  bows  ;  and  every  now  and  then  a  wave  would 
sweep  over  the  forecastle,  drenching  the  jackies  as  they  stood  at  their  quar 
ters.  As  they  sped  along,  the  two  ships  exchanged  broadsides,  the  "  Frolic  " 
firing  three  to  the  "  Wasp's "  two.  After  every  broadside,  the  gunners 
cheered  as  they  saw  the  damage  done  by  their  fire.  When  the  state  of  the 
sea  is  considered,  it  seems  marvellous  that  the  broadsides  should  have  done 
any  execution  whatever.  The  vessels  were  rolling  terribly,  now  wallowing 
in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  again  tossed  high  on  the  crest  of  some  enor 
mous  wave.  At  one  instant  the  muzzles  of  the  guns  would  be  pointed 
toward  the  skies,  then  actually  submerged  under  the  waves,  from  which  they 
rose  dripping,  to  be  loaded  and  fired  before  another  dip  should  soak  the 
charge.  Yet,  with  all  this  rolling  to  spoil  their  aim,  the  gunners  of  both 
ships  pointed  their  pieces  with  most  destructive  effect.  Within  five  minutes 
from  the  time  of  opening  fire,  the  main  top-mast  of  the  "Wasp"  was  shot 
away,  and  hung  tangled  in  the  rigging,  despite  the  active  efforts  of  the  top- 
men,  headed  by  the  nimble  midshipmen,  to  clear  away  the  wreck.  This 
greatly  hampered  the  movements  of  the  American  vessel ;  and  when,  a  few 
minutes  later,  the  gaff  and  the  main  top-gallant  mast  fell,  the  chances  of  the 
American  ship  seemed  poor  indeed.  The  effects  of  the  "  Wasp's  "  fire  were 
chiefly  to  be  seen  in  the  hull  of  her  antagonist ;  but  the  first  twenty  minutes 
of  the  fight  seemed  to  give  the  Englishman  every  chance  of  victory, 
since  his  fire  had  so  cut  away  the  rigging  of  the  "  Wasp  "  that  she  be 
came  unmanageable.  It  is  said  that  the  difference  between  the  execution 
done  by  the  two  batteries  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  British  fired  as 
their  ship  was  rising  on  the  crest  of  the  wave,  while  the  Americans  fired 
from  the  trough  of  the  sea,  sending  their  shot  into  the  hull  of  the  enemy. 
While  the  fight  was  raging,  the  two  ships  were  constantly  drawing 
nearer  together  ;  and  just  as  it  seemed  as  though  the  destruction  wrought 
in  the  "  Wasp's "  rigging  would  inevitably  lead  to  her  defeat,  the  two 
vessels  fouled.  For  an  instant  they  lay  yard-arm  to  yard-arm,  and  at 
that  very  moment  the  American  gunners  poured  in  a  terrific  broadside. 
So  close  were  the  two  vessels  to  each  other,  that,  in  loading,  the  rammers 
were  shoved  up  against  the  sides  of  the  "Frolic."  Before  the  gunners 
of  the  "  Frolic  "  could  respond  to  this  broadside,  their  ship  swung  round 
so  that  her  bow  lay  against  the  "Wasp's"  quarter;  and  her  bowsprit 


318  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

passed  over  the  heads  of  Capt.  Jones  and  his  officers  as  they  stood  on 
the  quarter-deck.  That  was  the  moment  for  a  raking  volley ;  and  with 
deadly  aim  the  Americans  poured  it  in,  and  the  heavy  iron  bolts  swept 
the  decks  of  the  "  Frolic "  from  stem  to  stern. 

This  turn  in  the  tide  of  battle  fairly  crazed  with  excitement  the  sailors 
of  the  "Wasp."  With  ringing  cheers  they  applauded  the  success  .of  the 
last  volley,  and,  springing  into  the  hammock-nettkigs,  called  loudly  for 
their  officers  to  lead  them  on  board  the  English  ship.  From  the  quarter 
deck,  Capt.  Jones,  with  shouts  and  gestures,  strove  to  hold  back  the 
excited  men  until  another  broadside  could  be  given  the  enemy.  Bur  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  sailors  was  beyond  all  control.  All  at  once,  they  saw 
a  sailor  from  New  Jersey,  named  Jack  Lang,  spring  on  a  gun,  cutlass  in 
hand,  ready  to  board.  All  were  about  to  follow  him,  when  Capt.  Jones 
called  him  down.  Only  for  a  minute  did  Jack's  sense  of  duty  overcome  his 
enthusiasm  ;  and  then,  remembering  that  he  had  once  been  impressed  on 
the  "  Frolic,"  his  rage  blazed  up,  and  in  an  instant  he  was  clambering  over 
the  nettings,  calling  for  followers.  Capt.  Jones  saw  that  the  ardor  of  his 
crew  was  beyond  his  control,  and  ordered  the  bugler  to  call  away  the  board 
ers.  Headed  by  their  officers,  the  bold  tars  swarmed  over  the  nettings, 
and  through  the  tangled  rigging,  to  the  deck  of  the  enemy's  ship.  Each 
man  clutched  his  cutlass  viciously,  for  he  felt  that  a  desperate  conflict  was 
imminent.  But  when  they  dropped  upon  the  deck  of  the  "  Frolic,"  a  most 
unexpected  spectacle  met  their  eyes. 

The  broad  deck  stretched  out  before  them,  untenanted  save  by  a  few 
wounded  officers  near  the  stern,  and  a  grim  old  British  seaman  at  the 
wheel.  Instead  of  the  host  of  armed  men  with  whom  the  boarders 
expected  to  dispute  the  possession  of  the  ship,  they  saw  before  them 
only  heaps  of  dead  sailors  lying  about  the  guns  which  they  had  been 
serving.  On  the  quarter-deck  lay  Capt.  Whinyates  and  Lieut.  Wintle, 
desperately  wounded.  All  who  were  unhurt  had  fled  below,  to  escape 
the  pitiless  fire  of  the  American  guns,  and  the  unerring  aim  of  the 
sailors  stationed  in  the  "Wasp's"  tops.  Only  the  old  helmsman  stood 
undaunted  at  his  post,  and  held  the  ship  on  her  course,  even  while  the 
Americans  were  swarming  over  the  nettings  and  clambering  down  the 
bowsprit.  The  colors  were  still  flying  above  the  ship  ;  but  there  was  no 
one  left,  either  to  defend  them  or  to  haul  them  down,  and  they  were 
finally  lowered  by  the  hands  of  Lieut.  Biddle,  who  led  the  boarding  party. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


319 


No  action  of  the  war  was  so  sanguinary  as  this  short  conflict  between 
two  sloops-of-war.  The  "  Frolic"  went  into  action  with  a  crew  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  men,  fully  officered.  When  the  colors  were  hauled 
down,  only  twenty  men  were  uninjured.  Every  officer  was  wounded,  and 
of  the  crew  thirty  lost  their  lives.  They  had  stood  to  their  guns  with  the 


READY  TO  BOARD. 

dogged  courage  of  the  English  sailor  at  his  best,  and  had  been  fairly 
mowed  down  by  the  destructive  fire  of  the  Americans.  On  the  "  Wasp," 
the  loss  of  life  was  slight.  The  shot  of  the  enemy  took  effect  in  the 
rigging  chiefly.  The  three  sailors  who  were  killed  were  topmen  at 
their  posts,  and  the  five  wounded  were  almost  all  stationed  in  the  rigging. 
The  Americans  were  not  destined  to  enjoy  their  triumph  long.  Shat- 


320  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

tered  though  the  "  Frolic "  was,  Lieut.  Biddle,  with  a  prize-crew,  took 
charge  of  her,  and  was  in  hopes  of  taking  her  safely  to  port  ;  but  his 
plan  was  rudely  shattered  by  the  appearance  of  an  English  frigate,  only 
a  few  hours  after  the  action  ceased.  For  the  "  Frolic "  to  escape,  was 
out  of  the  question.  Both  her  masts  had  gone  by  the  board  shortly 
after  her  flag  was  struck ;  and,  when  the  new  enemy  hove  in  sight, 
the  prize-crew  was  working  hard  to  clear  from  her  decks  the  tangled 
mass  of  rigging,  wreckage,  and  dead  bodies,  that  made  the  tasks  of  navi 
gation  impossible.  The  ship  was  rolling  like  a  log,  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea,  and  was  an  easy  prize  for  an  enemy  of  even  less  strength  than 
the  man-of-war  which  was  then  bearing  down  upon  her. 

The  vessel  which  came  rapidly  down  before  the  wind  was  the  "  Poic- 
tiers,"  a  British  seventy-four-gun  ship,  which  would  have  been  more  than 
a  match  for  the  little  "  Wasp/'  even  though  the  latter  had  been  fresh 
and  ready  for  battle,  instead  of  shattered  by  desperate  fight.  Seeing  no 
chance  for  a  successful  resistance,  Capt.  Jones  determined  upon  flight, 
and  ordered  all  hands  aloft,  to  make  sail.  But  the  sails  when  shaken 
out  were  found  to  have  been  cut  to  pieces  by  the  "  Frolic's  "  shot ;  and 
the  "Poictiers"  soon  came  alongside,  and  changed  the  triumph  of  the 
Americans  to  defeat. 

Though  Capt.  Jones  and  his  gallant  crew  were  thus  deprived  of  their 
hard-won  conquest,  they  received  their  full  meed  of  praise  from  their 
countrymen.  They  were  soon  exchanged,  voted  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  prize-money  by  Congress,  and  lauded  by  every  newspaper  and 
legislative  orator  in  the  country.  The  song-writers  of  the  day  under 
took  to  celebrate  in  verse  the  famous  victory,  and  produced  dozens  of 
songs,  of  which  the  following  stanza  may  be  taken  for  a  fair  sample:  — 

"  Like  the  fierce  bird  of  Jove  the  *  Wasp '  darted  forth, 

And  he  the  tale  told,  with  amazement  and  wonder. 
She  hurled  on  the  foe  from  her  flame-spreading  arms, 

The  fire-brands  of  death  and  the  red  belts  of  thunder. 
And,  oh!  it  was  glorious  and  strange  to  behold 

What  torrents  of  fire  from  her  red  mouth  she  threw; 
And  how  from  her  broad  wings  and  sulphurous  sides, 

Hot  showers  of  grape-shot  and  rifle-balls  flew ! " 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  321 

Let  us  now  turn  to  Commodore  John  Rodgers,  whose  unlucky  cruise 
at  the  opening  of  the  war  we  have  already  noted.  Having  refitted  his 
squadron  in  the  port  of  New  York,  he  set  sail  on  a  second  cruise, 
leaving  behind  him  the  "  Hornet."  Again  he  seemed  to  have  fallen 
upon  unprofitable  times,  for  his  ships  beat  up  and  down  in  the  highway 
of  commerce  without  sighting  a  single  sail.  After  several  days  of  inac 
tion,  it  was  determined  to  scatter  the  squadron ;  and  to  this  end  the 
frigate  "  United  States,"  Commodore  Decatur,  and  the  sixteen-gun  brig 
"  Argus,"  Capt.  Sinclair,  left  the  main  body  of  ships  and  started  off  on 
a  cruise  in  company.  After  the  two  ships  left  the  main  body,  Commo* 
dore  Rodgers  met  with  better  success,  capturing  a  Jamaica  packet  with 
two  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  her  hold,  and  chasing  a  British  frigate 
for  two  hours,  but  without  overhauling  her. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  "Argus"  had  parted  from  her  consort,  and  was 
cruising  to  the  eastward  on  her  own  account,  meeting  with  fair  success. 
During  her  cruise  she  captured  six  merchantmen,  and  was  herself  chased 
by  a  British  squadron.  This  chase  was  almost  as  memorable  as  that  of 
the  "  Constitution ; "  for  the  little  brig  was  hotly  pursued  for  three  days 
and  nights,  and,  to  escape  her  pursuers,  was  obliged  to  cut  away  her 
boats  and  anchors,  and  part  with  every  thing  movable  save  her  guns.  She 
escaped  at  last,  however,  and  was  for  many  months  thereafter  a  source  of 
continual  annoyance  to  the  commerce  of  the  enemy. 

After  parting  with  the  "Argus,"  the  "United  States"  had  made  her 
course  toward  the  south-east,  in  the  hopes  of  intercepting  some  of  the 
British  West-Indiamen.  But  what  the  plucky  sailors  would  consider  better 
luck  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  frigate. 

o 

At  dawn  on  a  bright  Sunday  morning,  the  lookout  of  the  "United 
States"  descried  a  sail  about  twelve  miles  away,  on  the  weather-beam. 
Sail  was  crowded  on  the  American  frigate,  and,  urged  along  by  a  rattling 
breeze,  she  made  towards  the  stranger.  As  the  distance  between  the 
ships  lessened,  and  the  rigging  of  the  stranger  showed  her  to  be  a  frigate, 
the  enthusiasm  among  the  gallant  tars  of  the  "  United  States  "  grew  apace. 
Visions  of  battle,  of  glory,  and,  above  all,  of  resultant  prize-money,  arose 
in  their  minds ;  and  their  shouts  could  be  heard  by  the  crew  of  the  distant 
frigate  before  the  two  vessels  came  within  range  of  each  other. 

The  vessel  toward  which  the  "  United  States  "  was  advancing  was  the 


322  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

"  Macedonian,"  a  British  frigate  rating  thirty-eight  guns,  but  said  to  have 
been  carrying  forty-nine  at  this  time.  She  had  for  some  time  been 
reckoned  a  crack  ship  of  her  class  in  the  British  navy,  and  her  crew  was 
in  admirable  training.  From  her  quarter-deck  and  forecastle  groups  of 
officers  and  seamen  were  watching  the  on-commg  of  the  American  frigate. 
One  of  the  powder  iionkeys,  named  Samuel  Leech,  of  the  British  ship, 
told  graphically  and  simply  the  story  of  that  day's  doings  on  the 
"  Macedonian." 

"Sunday  (Dec.  25,  1812)  came,  and  it  brought  with  it  a  stiff  breeze," 
so  runs  the  powder-monkey's  tale.  "We  usually  made  a  sort  of  holiday 
of  this  sacred  day.  After  breakfast  it  was  common  to  muster  the  entire 
crew  on  the  spar-deck,  dressed  as  the  fancy  of  the  captain  might  dic 
tate, —  sometimes  in  blue  jackets  and  white  trousers,  or  blue  jackets  and 
blue  trousers  ;  at  other  times  in  blue  jackets,  scarlet  vests,  and  blue  or 
white  trousers  ;  with  our  bright  anchor-buttons  glancing  in  the  sun,  and 
our  black,  glossy  hats  ornamented  with  black  ribbons,  and  the  name 
of  our  ship  painted  on  them.  After  muster  we  frequently  had  church- 
service  read  by  the  captain  ;  the  rest  of  the  day  was  devoted  to  idleness. 
But  we  were  destined  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  sabbath  just  introduced 
to  the  reader  in  a  very  different  manner. 

"We  had  scarcely  finished  breakfast  before  the  man  at  the  masthead 
shouted  'Sail,  ho!' 

"  The  captain  rushed  upon  deck,  exclaiming,  '  Masthead,  there ! ' 

"  '  Sir  ? ' 

"  '  Where  away  is  the  sail  ? ' 

"The  precise  answer  to  this  question  I  do  not  recollect;  but  the 
captain  proceeded  to  ask,  *  What  does  she  look  like  ? ' 

"'A  square-rigged  vessel,  sir,'  was  the  reply  of  the  lookout. 

"  After  a  few  minutes,  the  captain  shouted  again,  *  Masthead,  there ! ' 

"  '  Sir  ? ' 

"' What  does  she  look  like?' 

"'A  large  ship,  sir,  standing  toward  us.' 

"By  this  time,  most  of  the  crew  were  on  deck,  eagerly  straining 
their  eyes  to  obtain  a  glimpse  of  the  approaching  ship,  and  murmuring  their 
opinions  to  each  other  on  her  probable  character. 

"Then  came  the  voice  of  the  captain,  shouting,  'Keep  silence,  fore 
and  aft ! ' 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  323 

"  Silence  being  secured,  he  hailed  the  lookout,  who  to  his  question  of 
'  What  does  she  look  like  ? '  replied,  "  A  large  frigate  bearing  down  upon 
us,  sir.' 

"A  whisper  ran  along  the  crew,  that  the  stranger  ship  was  a  Yankee 
frigate.  The  thought  was  confirmed  by  the  command  of  '  All  hands  clear 
the  ship  for  action,  ahoy  ! '  The  drum  and  fife  beat  to  quarters,  bulk 
heads  were  knocked  away,  the  guns  were  released  from  their  confinement, 
the  whole  dread  paraphernalia  of  battle  was  produced ;  and,  after  the 
lapse  of  a  few  minutes  of  hurry  and  confusion,  every  man  and  boy  was 
at  his  post  ready  to  do  his  best  service  for  his  country,  except  the  band, 
who,  claiming  exemption  from  the  affray,  safely  stowed  themselves  away 
in  the  cable  tier.  We  had  only  one  sick  man  on  the  list ;  and  he,  at 
the  cry  of  battle,  hurried  from  his  cot,  feeble  as  he  was,  to  take  his  post 
of  danger.  A  few  of  the  junior  midshipmen  were  stationed  below  on  the 
berth-deck,  with  orders,  given  in  our  hearing,  to  shoot  any  man  who 
attempted  to  move  from  his  quarters. 

"As  the  approaching  ship  showed  American  colors,  all  doubt  of  her 
character  was  at  an  end.  '  We  must  fight  her,'  was  the  conviction  of  every 
breast.  Every  possible  arrangement  that  could  insure  success  was  accord 
ingly  made.  The  guns  were  shotted,  the  matches  lighted  ;  for,  although 
our  guns  were  all  furnished  with  first-class  locks,  they  were  also  furnished 
with  matches,  attached  by  lanyards,  in  case  the  lock  should  miss  fire. 
A  lieutenant  then  passed  through  the  ship,  directing  the  marines  and 
boarders  —  who  were  furnished  with  pikes,  cutlasses,  and  pistols  —  how 
to  proceed  if  it  should  be  necessary  to  board  the  enemy.  He  was  fol 
lowed  by  the  captain,  who  exhorted  the  men  to  fidelity  and  courage,  urging 
upon  their  consideration  the  well-known  motto  of  the  brave  Nelson, 
'England  expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty.'  In  addition  to  all  these 
preparations  on  deck,  some  men  were  stationed  in  the  tops  with  small- 
arms,  whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  to  trimming  the  sails,  and  to  use  their 
muskets,  provided  we  came  to  close  action.  There  were  others,  also, 
below,  called  sail-trimmers,  to  assist  in  working  the  ship,  should  it  be 
necessary  to  shift  her  position  during  the  battle." 

Thus,  with  her  men  at  their  quarters,  her  guns  primed,  and  matches 
lighted,  the  "  Macedonian "  bore  down  to  open  the  action.  On  the 
"  United  States,"  very  similar  scenes  were  being  enacted.  In  some 


324  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

respects,  the  American  frigate  was  a  more  formidable  ship  than  the  adver 
sary  she  was  about  to  engage.  Her  battery  consisted  of  fifty-four  guns, 
and  some  were  of  heavier  calibre  than  those  of  the  "  Macedonian."  Her 
crew,  too,  was  rather  larger  than  that  of  her  adversary.  But,  in  most 
respects,  the  ships  were  well  matched.  Indeed,  the  commanders  of  the 
two  ships  had  met  before  the  opening  of  the  war,  and,  in  conversation, 
agreed  that  their  vessels  were  well  fitted  to  test  the  comparative  valor  of 
Yankee  and  English  sailors.  Capt.  Garden  of  the  "  Macedonian  "  had  asked 
Decatur  what  would  be  the  probable  result,  if  the  two  ships  were  to  meet 
in  battle.  % 

"Why,  sir,"  responded  the  American  captain,  "if  we  meet  with  forces 
that  might  be  fairly  called  equal,  the  conflict  would  be  severe  ;  but  the  flag 
of  my  country  on  the  ship  I  command  shall  never  leave  the  staff  on  which  it 
waves,  as  long  as  there  is  a  hull  to  support  it." 

Such  sentiments  as  this  were  ever  in  the  heart  of  the  gallant  Decatur, 
whose  service  in  the  war  of  1812  was  but  the  continuation  of  his  dashing 
career  during  the  war  with  Tripoli.  A  captain  of  such  ardent  bravery  could 
not  fail  to  inspire  his  crew  with  the  same  enthusiasm  and  confidence. 

In  the  crew  of  the  "  United  States  "  were  many  young  boys,  of  ages 
ranging  from  twelve  to  fourteen  years.  At  that  time  many  a  lad  received 
his  warrant  as  midshipman  while  still  in  his  tenth  year ;  and  youngsters 
who  wished  to  join  the  navy  as  "ship's  boys,"  were  always  received, 
although  sometimes  their  extreme  youth  made  it  illegal  for  their  names 
to  be  formally  enrolled  upon  the  roster  of  the  crew.  Such  was  the  sta 
tion  of  little  Jack  Creamer,  a  ten-year-old  boy,  who  had  been  serving 
on  the  ship  for  some  weeks,  although  under  the  age  at  which  he  could 
be  legally  enlisted.  When  Jack  saw  the  English  frigate  looming  up  in 
the  distance,  a  troubled  look  came  over  his  face,  and  he  seemed  to  be 
revolving  some  grave  problem  in  his  mind.  His  comrades  noticed  his 
look  of  care,  and  rallied  him  on  what  they  supposed  to  be  his  fear  of 
the  coming  conflict.  Jack  stoutly  denied  this  charge,  but  said  he  was 
anxious  to  speak  to  the  captain  before  going  into  action.  An  old 
quartermaster  marched  him  up  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  stood  waiting  for 
Capt.  Decatur's  attention.  In  a  moment  the  captain  noticed  the  two, 
and  said  cheerily,  — 

"Well,  Jack,  what's  wanting  now?" 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  325 

Touching  his  hat,  the  lad  replied,  "  Commodore,  will  you  please  to 
have  my  name  put  down  on  the  muster-roll  ? " 

"Why,  what  for,  my  lad?" 

"So  that  I  can  draw  my  share  of  the  prize-money,  when  we  take 
that  Britisher,  sir." 

Amused  and  pleased  with  the  lad's  confidence  in  the  success  of  the 
"United  States"  in  the  coming  battle,  Decatur  gave  the  necessary  order ; 
and  Jack  went  back  to  his  post  with  a  prouder  step,  for  he  was  now 
regularly  enrolled. 

The  two  ships  were  now  coming  within  range  of  each  other,  and  a 
slow,  long-distance  cannonade  was  begun,  with  but  little  effect ;  for  a  long 
ground-swell  was  on,  and  the  ships  were  rolling  in  a  manner  fatal  to  the 
aim  of  the  gunners.  After  half  an  hour  of  this  playing  at  long  bowls, 
the  Englishman's  mizzen  top-mast  was  shot  away ;  and  the  cannon-balls 
from  the  "States"  whizzed  through  the  rigging,  and  splashed  into  the 
water  about  the  "  Macedonian,"  in  a  way  that  proved  the  American  gun 
ners  had  the  range,  and  were  utilizing  it.  Capt.  Garden  soon  saw  that 
at  long  range  the  American  gunners  were  more  than  a  match  for  his 
men,  and  he  resolved  to  throw  prudence  to  the  winds ;  and,  disdaining 
all  manoeuvring,  bore  straight  down  on  the  American  ship  that  lay  almost 
stationary  on  the  water,  pouring  in  rapid  and  well-aimed  broadsides. 

Though  a  gallant  and  dashing  movement,  this  course  led  to  the  defeat 
of  the  English  ship.  The  fire  of  the  Americans  was  deadly  in  its  aim, 
and  marvellous  in  rapidity.  So  continuous  was  the  flashing  of  the  dis 
charges  from  the  broadside  ports,  that  the  sailors  on  the  "  Macedonian " 
thought  their  adversary  was  on  fire,  and  cheered  lustily.  But  the  next 
instant  their  exultation  was  turned  to  sorrow ;  for  a  well-directed  shot  cut 
away  the  mizzen-mast,  which  fell  alongside,  suspended  by  the  cordage. 

"Huzza,  Jack!"  cried  the  captain  of  a  gun  on  the  "United  States." 
"  We've  made  a  brig  of  her." 

"Ay,  ay,  my  lad,"  said  Decatur,  who  stood  near  by;  "  now  aim  well 
at  the  main-mast,  and  she'll  be  a  sloop  soon." 

A  few  minutes  later,  the  captain  shouted  to  the  nearest  gunner, 
"Aim  at  the  yellow  streak.  Her  spars  and  rigging  are  going  fast  enough. 
She  must  have  a  little  more  hulling." 

This   order  was   immediately  passed   along   the   gun-deck,   until    every 


326  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

gunner  was  striving  his  utmost  to  plant  his  shot  in  the  hull  of  the 
enemy.  The  effect  was  terrible.  The  great  missiles  crashed  through 
the  wooden  sides  of  the  English  frigate,  and  swept  the  decks  clear  of 
men.  She  was  coming  down  on  the  American  bravely,  and  with  mani 
fest  intention  of  boarding ;  but  so  skilfully  was  the  "  United  States " 
manoeuvred,  and  so  accurate  and  rapid  was  her  fire,  that  the  "  Macedo 
nian  "  was  unable  to  close,  and  was  fairly  cut  to  pieces,  while  still  more 
than  a  pistol-shot  distant.  The  "  United  States,"  in  the  mean  time,  was 
almost  unscathed.  The  aim  of  the  English  gunners  was  usually  too 
high,  and  such  shots  as  took  effect  were  mainly  in  the  rigging.  After 
pounding  away  at  the  "  Macedonian "  until  the  chocks  of  the  forecastle 
guns  on  that  ship  were  cut  away,  her  boats  cut  to  pieces,  and  her  hull 
shattered  with  more  than  one  hundred  shot-holes,  the  American  ship 
drew  away  slightly.  The  British  thought  she  was  in  retreat,  and  cheered 
lustily,  but  were  soon  undeceived ;  for,  after  a  little  manoeuvring,  the 
"  United  States  "  ranged  up  under  her  adversary's  lee,  securing  a  raking 
position.  Before  a  broadside  could  be  fired,  the  British  hauled  down  their 
flag;  and  the  action  was  ended,  after  just  an  hour  and  a  half  of  fighting. 
The  slaughter  on  the  British  frigate  had  been  appalling.  From  the 
official  accounts,  we  glean  the  cold  reports  of  the  numbers  of  the  killed  and 
wounded  ;  but  for  any  picture  of  the  scene  on  the  decks  of  the  defeated 
man-of-war,  we  must  turn  to  such  descriptions  as  have  been  left  by  eye 
witnesses.  Sailors  are  not  much  given  to  the  habit  of  jotting  down  the 
descriptions  of  the  many  stirring  scenes  in  which  they  play  parts  in 
their  adventurous  careers ;  and  much  that  is  romantic,  much  that  is  pic 
turesque,  and  much  that  is  of  historic  value,  has  thus  been  lost  to  history. 
But  of  the  details  of  the  action  between  the  "Macedonian"  and  "United 
States,"  the  sailor-lad  already  quoted  has  left  an  account,  probably  as 
trustworthy  as  should  be  expected  of  a  witness  in  his  situation.  He  was 
stationed  at  one  of  the  guns  on  the  main-deck ;  and  it  was  his  duty,  as 
powder-boy,  to  run  to  the  magazine  for  powder  for  his  gun.  Before  the 
entrance  to  the  magazine  was  a  heavy  wooden  screen,  pierced  with  a 
hole  through  which  the  cartridges  were  passed  out  to  the  fleet-footed 
powder-monkeys,  as  they  rushed  up  for  more  powder.  Each  boy,  on 
getting  his  cartridge,  wrapped  it  in  his  jacket,  that  no  stray  spark  might 
touch  it,  and  dashed  off  at  full  speed  for  his  gun,  quickly  returning  for 
further  supplies. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  327 

With  the  men  all  standing  pale  and  silent  at  the  guns,  the  "  Macedo 
nian  "  came  on  doggedly  towards  her  foe.  Three  guns  fired  from  the  lar 
board  side  of  the  gun-deck  opened  the  action ;  but  the  fire  was  quickly 
stopped  by  the  gruff  order  from  the  quarter-deck,  "Cease  firing:  you  are 
throwing  away  your  shot ! "  Then  came  the  roar  of  the  opening  volley 
from  the  American  frigate. 

"A  strange  noise  such  as  I  had  never  heard  before  next  arrested  my 
attention,"  wrote  the  English  sailor-lad.  "  It  sounded  like  the  tearing  of 
sails  just  over  our  heads.  This  I  soon  ascertained  to  be  the  wind  of  the 
enemy's  shot.  The  firing,  after  a  few  minutes'  cessation,  recommenced. 
The  roaring  of  cannon  could  now  be  heard  from  all  parts  of  our  trem 
bling  ship  ;  and,  mingling  as  it  did  with  that  of  our  foes,  it  made  a  most 
hideous  noise.  By  and  by  I  heard  the  shot  strike  the  sides  of  our  ship. 
The  whole  scene  grew  indescribably  confused  and  horrible.  It  was  like 
some  awfully  tremendous  thunder-storm,  whose  deafening  roar  is  attended 
by  incessant  streaks  of  lightning,  carrying  death  in  every  flash,  and  strew 
ing  the  ground  with  the  victims  of  its  wrath  ;  only  in  our  case  the  scene 
was  rendered  more  horrible  than  that  by  the  presence  of  torrents  of  blood, 
which  dyed  our  decks.  Though  the  recital  may  be  painful,  yet,  as  it  will 
reveal  the  horrors  of  war,  and  show  at  what  a  fearful  price  the  victory  is 
won  or  lost,  I  will  present  the  reader  with  things  as  they  met  my  eye  during 
the  progress  of  this  dreadful  fight.  I  was  busily  supplying  my  gun  with 
powder,  when  I  saw  blood  suddenly  fly  from  the  arm  of  a  man  stationed  at 
our  gun.  I  saw  nothing  strike  him  :  the  effect  alone  was  visible  ;  and  in  an 
instant  the  third  lieutenant  tied  his  handkerchief  round  the  wounded  arm, 
and  sent  the  poor  fellow  below  to  the  surgeon. 

"  The  cries  of  the  wounded  now  rang  through  all  parts  of  the  ship.  These 
were  carried  to  the  cock-pit  as  fast  as  they  fell,  while  those  more  fortunate 
men  who  were  killed  outright  were  immediately  thrown  overboard.  As  I 
was  stationed  but  a  short  distance  from  the  main  hatchway,  I  could  catch  a 
glance  at  all  who  were  carried  below.  A  glance  was  all  I  could  indulge  in  ; 
for  the  boys  belonging  to  the  guns  next  to  mine  were  wounded  in  the  early 
part  of  the  action,  and  I  had  to  spring  with  all  my  might  to  keep  three  or 
tour  guns  supplied  with  cartridges.  I  saw  two  of  these  lads  fall  nearly 
together.  One  of  them  was  struck  in  the  leg  by  a  large  shot  ;  he  had  to 
suffer  amputation  above  the  wound.  The  other  had  a  grape  or  canister 


328  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

sent  through  his  ankle.  A  stout  Yorkshire  man  lifted  him  in  his  arms,  and 
hurried  with  him  to  the  cock-pit.  He  had  his  foot  cut  off,  and  was  thus 
made  lame  for  life.  Two  of  the  boys  stationed  on  the  quarter-deck  were 
killed.  They  were  both  Portuguese.  A  man  who  saw  one  killed  afterwards 
told  me  that  his  powder  caught  fire,  and  burnt  the  flesh  almost  off  his  face. 
In  this  pitiable  situation  the  agonized  boy  lifted  up  both  hands,  as  if 
imploring  relief,  when  a  passing  shot  instantly  cut  him  in  two." 

But  the  narrative  of  this  young  sailor,  a  boy  in  years,  is  almost  too 
horrible  for  reproduction.  He  tells  of  men  struck  by  three  or  four  mis 
siles  at  once,  and  hacked  to  pieces ;  of  mangled  sailors,  mortally  wounded, 
but  still  living,  thrown  overboard  to  end  their  sufferings  ;  of  the  monoto 
nous  drip  of  the  blood  on  the  deck,  as  desperately  wounded  men  were 
carried  past.  The  brave  seaman  who  left  his  bed  of  sickness  for  the  post 
of  duty  had  his  head  carried  away  by  a  cannon-ball.  The  schoolmaster 
who  looked  after  the  education  of  the  midshipmen  was  killed.  Even  a 
poor  goat,  kept  by  the  officers  for  her  milk,  was  cut  down  by  a  cannon- 
ball,  and,  after  hobbling  piteously  about  the  deck,  was  mercifully  thrown 
overboard.  And  this  was  Sunday,  Christmas  Day  ! 

The  spot  amidships  where  our  sailor-lad  was  stationed  must  have  been 
the  hottest  station  in  the  whole  ship.  Many  years  later,  as  Herman 
Melville,  the  author  of  several  exciting  sea-tales,  was  walking  the  deck 
of  a  man-of-war  with  an  old  negro,  "Tawney,"  who  had  served  on  the 
"Macedonian,"  the  veteran  stopped  at  a  point  abreast  the  main-mast. 
"  This  part  of  the  ship,"  said  he,  "  we  called  the  slaughter-house,  on  board 
the  'Macedonian.'  Here  the  men  fell,  five  and  six  at  a  time.  An  enemy 
always  directs  its  shot  here,  in  order  to  hurl  over  the  mast,  if  possible. 
The  beams  and  carlines  overhead  in  the  *  Macedonian '  slaughter-house 
were  spattered  with  blood  and  brains.  About  the  hatchways  it  looked 
like  a  butcher's  stall.  A  shot  entering  at  one  of  the  port-holes  dashed 
dead  two-thirds  of  a  gun's  crew.  The  captain  of  the  next  gun,  dropping 
his  lock-string,  which  he  had  just  pulled,  turned  over  the  heap  of  bodies, 
to  see  who  they  were ;  when,  perceiving  an  old  messmate  who  had  sailed 
with  him  in  many  cruises,  he  burst  into  tears,  and  taking  the  corpse 
up  in  his  arms,  and  going  to  the  side  with  it,  held  it  over  the  water  a 
moment,  and  eying  it,  cried,  '  O  God  !  Tom  '  — .  '  Hang  your  prayers 
over  that  thing !  Overboard  with  it,  and  down  to  your  gun ! '  The  order 
was  obeyed,  and  the  heart-stricken  sailor  returned  to  his  post." 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  329 

V^"  ~~~~ 

Amid  such  scenes  of  terror,  the  British  tars  fought  on  doggedlv.  cheer 
ing  loudly  as  they  worked  their  guns,  but  not  knowing  why  they  cheered  ; 
for  the  officers,  at  least,  could  see  how  surely  the  battle  was  going  against 
them.  When  the  "  United  States "  drew  away  to  repair  damages,  the 
British  officers  held  a  consultation  on  the  quarter-deck.  They  could  not 
but  see  that  their  position  was  hopeless  ;  and,  knowing  all  further  resist 
ance  to  be  folly,  the  flag  was  hauled  down.  To  the  pride  of  the  officers, 
the  surrender  was  doubtless  a  severe  blow.  But  Sam  Leech  remarks 
pithily,  that  to  him  "  it  was  a  pleasing  sight ;  for  he  had  seen  fighting 
enough  for  one  Sabbath,  —  more,  indeed,  than  he  wished  to  see  again  on 
a  week-day." 

Decatur  at  once  hailed,  to  learn  the  name  of  his  prize,  and  then  sent 
off  a  boat  with  Lieut.  Allen  to  take  possession.  He  found  the  decks  of 
the  ship  in  a  fearful  state.  Many  of  the  crew  had  found  liquor,  and 
were  drinking  heavily.  Others  were  throwing  the  dead  into  the  sea, 
carrying  the  wounded  below,  and  sprinkling  the  deck  with  hot  vinegar,  to 
remove  the  stains  and  odor  of  blood.  The  dead  numbered  forty-three,  and 
sixty-one  were  wounded.  An  eye-witness  of  the  terrible  spectacle  writes 
of  it :  "  Fragments  of  the  dead  were  distributed  in  every  direction,  the 
decks  covered  with  blood, — one  continued,  agonizing  yell  of  the  unhappy 
wounded.  A  scene  so  horrible  of  my  fellow-creatures,  I  assure  you,  de 
prived  me  very  much  of  the  pleasure  of  victory."  Yet,  with  all  this  terrific 
destruction  and  loss  of  life  on  the  "  Macedonian,"  the  "  United  States  "  was 
but  little  injured ;  and  her  loss  amounted  to  but  seven  killed,  and  five 
wounded.  Indeed,  so  slight  was  the  damage  done  to  the  American  ship, 
that  an  hour's  active  work  by  her  sailors  put  her  in  trim  for  a  second  battle. 

While  Lieut.  Allen  was  examining  the  muster-rolls  of  the  "Macedo 
nian,"  a  sailor  pushed  his  way  toward  the  quarter-deck,  and  cried  out 
that  he  was  an  impressed  American,  and  that  he  had  seven  mates  aboard, 
all  pressed  into  the  British  service.  They  had  all  been  forced  to  serve 
against  their  country,  and  in  the  battle  three  had  been  killed.  Just  before 
the  battle  began,  they  had  begged  to  be  sent  below,  but  were  peremp 
torily  ordered  to  stand  by  their  guns,  or  expect  to  be  treated  as  muti 
neers.  Now  that  the  battle  was  over,  the  five  who  were  left  alive  begged  to 
be  taken  into  the  crew  of  the  "  United  States,"  which  was  accordingly  done. 

After  the   "  Macedonian  "    had   been  formally  taken   possession   of   by 


330  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

Lieut.  Allen,  the  British  officers  were  removed  to  the  American  ship. 
Some  of  them  were  inclined  to  be  very  surly  over  their  defeat,  and  by 
words  and  actions  showed  their  contempt  for  the  Americans,  whose  pris 
oners  they  were.  In  the  first  boat  which  went  from  the  prize  to  the 
victor  was  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  "Macedonian."  As  he  clambered 
down  the  side  of  his  vessel,  he  noticed  that  his  baggage  had  not  been 
put  in  the  boat  which  was  to  bear  him  to  the  American  frigate.  Turning 
to  Lieut.  Allen,  he  said  surlily,  --• 

"  You  do  not  intend  to  send  me  away  without  my  baggage  ? " 

"I  hope,"  responded  Allen  courteously,  "that  you  do  not  take  us  for 
privateersmen." 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  by  whom  I  have  been  taken,"  was  the  rude 
reply,  which  so  angered  Allen  that  he  peremptorily  ordered  the  fellow  to 
take  his  place  in  the  boat,  and  be  silent. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  demeanor  of  the  British  captives,  they 
met  with  nothing  but  the  most  considerate  treatment  from  the  American 
officers.  Capt.  Garden,  on  his  arrival  upon  the  deck  of  the  victorious 
frigate,  was  received  with  the  consideration  due  his  rank  and  the  brave 
defence  of  his  vessel.  He  was  conducted  at  once  to  Decatur's  cabin,  on 
entering  which  he  took  off  his  sword,  and  mutely  held  it  out  for  Decatur's 
acceptance.  Decatur  courteously  refused  to  accept  it,  saying,  "  Sir,  I  cannot 
take  the  sword  of  a  man  who  has  defended  his  ship  so  bravely ;  but  I 
will  take  your  hand."  As  long  as  Garden  and  his  officers  remained  on 
the  ship,  they  were  treated  with  the  greatest  consideration,  and  were 
allowed  to  retain  all  their  personal  property.  Every  attempt  was  made 
to  take  away  from  them  the  bitter  remembrance  of  their  defeat.  The 
innate  nobility  of  Decatur's  nature  is  well  shown  in  a  letter  written  to  his 
wife  a  few  days  after  the  action.  "  One-half  of  the  satisfaction,"  he  says, 
"  arising  from  this  victory  is  destroyed  in  seeing  the  mortification  of  poor 
Garden,  who  deserved  success  as  much  as  we  did  who  had  the  good  fortune 
to  obtain  it."  When  Garden  left  the  ship,  he  thanked  Decatur  for  his  con 
sideration,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  do  likewise  by  the  Americans,  should 
he  ever  be  able  to  turn  the  tables. 

Amid  the  heat  of  battle  and  the  excitement  of  success,  Decatur  did  not 
forget  little  Jack  Creamer,  the  lately  enrolled  ship's  boy.  Shortly  after  the 
close  of  the  conflict,  he  sent  for  Jack  to  come  to  his  cabin.  Soon  a  much 
abashed  small  boy  stood  before  the  captain. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  33 l 

"Well,  Jack,"  said  the  great  man,  "we  did  take  her,  after  all." 

"  Yes,  your  Honor,"  responded  Jack.  "  I  knew  we  would,  before  we  gave 
her  the  first  broadside." 

"And  your  share  of  the  prize-money,"  continued  Decatur,  "  may  amount 
to  two  hundred  dollars,  if  we  get  her  safe  into  port.  Now,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with  so  much  money  ? " 

Jack's  eyes  had  lighted  up  at  the  thought  of  such  great  wealth. 

"  Please,  sir,"  he  cried,  "  I'll  send  half  of  it  to  my  mother  ;  and  the 
rest  will  get  me  a  bit  of  schooling." 

"Well  said,  Jack,"  said  Decatur  warmly;  and  the  interview  closed  for 
the  time.  But  the  captain's  interest  in  the  boy  was  aroused,  and  for 
years  he  showed  an  almost  fatherly  regard  for  the  lad.  Jack  had  his 
"bit  of  schooling,"  then  received  a  midshipman's  warrant,  and  for  years 
served  with  Decatur,  giving  promise  of  becoming  an  able  officer.  At 
last,  however,  his  career  was  ended  by  the  accidental  upsetting  of  a  boat 
when  on  a  pleasure  excursion  in  the  Mediterranean. 

After  putting  in  for  a  short  time  at  New  London,  the  two  ships, 
captor  and  captive,  proceeded  down  the  Sound  to  New  York.  Here  they 
arrived  on  the  ist  of  January,  1813  ;  and  the  news-writers  of  the  day 
straightway  hailed  the  "Macedonian"  as  "a  New  Year's  gift,  with  the 
compliments  of  old  Neptune."  However,  the  news  of  the  victory  had 
spread  throughout  the  land  before  the  ships  came  up  to  New  York ;  for 
Decatur  had  sent  out  a  courier  from  New  London  to  bear  the  tidings  to 
Washington.  A  curious  coincidence  made  the  delivery  of  the  despatch  as 
impressive  as  a  studied  dramatic  scene. 

It  so  happened  that  the  people  of  Washington  had  chosen  the  night 
of  Dec.  28  for  a  grand  ball,  to  be  tendered  to  the  officers  of  the  navy, 
and  particularly  to  Capt.  Stewart  of  the  "Constellation."  A  brilliant 
company  was  gathered,  in  honor  of  the  occasion.  The  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  and  other  cabinet  officers,  lent  their  presence  to  the  festivities. 
Capt.  Hull  of  the  victorious  "Constitution"  was  present;  and,  to  make 
the  affair  even  more  of  a  triumph,  the  captured  colors  of  the  "  Alert " 
and  the  "  Guerriere  "  were  draped  on  the  wall  of  the  hall.  Near  midnight, 
the  revelry  was  at  its  height.  The  brilliant  toilets  of  the  ladies ;  the 
men,  gorgeous  in  the  uniforms  of  the  army,  navy,  or  diplomatic  corps ; 
the  light  of  a  thousand  wax-candles  flashing  from  a  myriad  of  sconces, — 


332  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

made  the  scene  one  of  the  utmost  splendor.  All  at  once,  in  the  midst 
or  the  stately  measures  of  the  old-fashioned  minuet,  a  murmur  rose  near 
the  entrance  to  the  hall,  and  spread  until  every  one  was  whispering,  that 
news  had  come  of  a  great  naval  battle,  a  victory.  Word  was  brought  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  He  directed  that  the  bearer  of  the  despatches 
should  be  at  once  admitted ;  and,  amid  cheers  and  clapping  of  hands, 
Lieut.  Hamilton  entered  the  hall,  and  delivered  his  despatches  to  his 
father,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  The  tenor  of  the  despatch  was  soon 
known  to  all ;  and  Lieut.  Hamilton  turned  from  the  greetings  of  his  mother 
and  sisters,  who  were  present,  to  receive  the  congratulations  of  his  brother- 
officers.  He  had  brought  the  colors  of  the  captured  ship  with  him  to  the 
city ;  and  Capts.  Stewart  and  Hull  immediately  went  in  search  of  them, 
and  soon  returned,  bearing  the  flag  between  them.  The  two  veteran 
sailors  marched  the  length  of  the  hall,  amid  the  plaudits  of  the  gay  com 
pany,  and  laid  the  colors  before  Mrs.  Madison,  —  the  Dolly  Madison  whc 
is  still  remembered  as  the  most  popular  of  the  "ladies  of  the  White 
House."  Then  the  company  proceeded  to  the  banquet-hall,  where,  to  the 
list  of  toasts  already  prepared,  was  added,  "The  health  of  Commodore 
Decatur  and  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  'United  States.'* 

Two  weeks  later,  Capt.  Decatur  and  his  officers  and  the  crew  of  the 
"United  States"  were  sumptuously  entertained  by  the  citizens  of  New 
York.  The  officers  were  tendered  a  banquet  in  the  great  assembly-room 
of  the  City  Hotel,  which  was  decked  with  laurel  and  ship's  spars  and 
sails.  The  chief  table  at  the  head  of  the  room,  at  which  sat  Mayor  De 
WTitt  Clinton  and  Capts.  Hull  and  Decatur,  was  a  marvel  of  decoration. 
Its  centre  was  taken  up  by  a  sheet  of  water  with  grassy  banks,  bearing 
on  its  placid  surface  a  miniature  frigate  floating  at  her  moorings.  Each 
of  the  smaller  tables  bore  a  small  frigate  on  a  pedestal  in  the  centre  of 
the  board.  On  the  wall  at  the  end  of  the  room  hung  a  heavy  sail,  on 
which  was  printed  the  motto,  — 

"OUR   CHILDREN   ARE  THE   PROPERTY   OF  THEIR   COUNTRY." 

After  the  dinner  was  ended  and  the  toasts  were  begun,  the  health  of 
the  navy  was  proposed.  At  the  word,  the  great  sail  began  to  ascend, 
and,  being  drawn  to  the  ceiling,  disclosed  an  illuminated  transparent 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   1812.  333 

ainting,  showing  vividly  the  scenes   of  the  three  great  actions  won  by 
-,e  "Constitution,"  the  " United   States,"  and   the  "Wasp."     The  whole 
company  rose  and  cheered,  until  the  walls  of  the  hall  fairly  rung. 

Three  days  later,  the  jackies  from  the  forecastle  of  the  "  United  States  " 
were  entertained.  They  were  landed  at  the  Battery,  and  marched  in 
procession  to  the  hotel,  headed  by  a  brass  band  which  had  been  captured 
with  the  "Macedonian."  Four  hundred  of  the  fine  fellows  were  in  the 
line,  clad  in  the  dress  uniform  of  the  navy  of  that  time.  Glazed  canvas 
hats  with  stiff  rims,  decked  with  streamers  of  ribbon ;  blue  jackets  but 
toned  loosely  over  red  waistcoats ;  and  blue  trousers  with  bell-buttons,  — 
made  up  the  toggery  of  the  tar  of  1812.  As  they  marched,  two  by  two, 
through  the  narrow  streets  that  led  to  the  City  Hotel,  the  populace 
assembled  on  the  sidewalks  and  in  the  windows  along  the  route,  greeting 
the  jackies  with  cheers.  The  rear  was  brought  up  by  the  usual  band  of 
street-urchins,  each  of  whom  that  day  was  firm  in  his  determination  to 
be  a  sailor. 

After  the  banquet  at  the  hotel,  the  sailors  were  marched  to  the  theatre, 
where  the  pit  had  been  set  aside  for  them.  The  orchestra  opened  with 
"  Yankee  Doodle ; "  but  the  first  bar  had  hardly  been  played,  when  the 
cheeio  of  the  blue-jackets  fairly  drowned  the  music,  and  the  musicians 
were  fain  to  stop.  The  programme  had  been  arranged  with  special  regard 
to  the  seafaring  audience.  Little  children  bounded  upon  the  stage,  bearing 
huge  letters  in  their  hands,  and,  after  lightly  whirling  through  the  mazes 
of  the  dance,  grouped  themselves  so  that  the  letters  formed  the  words,  — 

HULL,         JONES,          DECATUR. 

%.!  " 

Then  came  more  cheers  from  the  pit ;  and  more  than  one  glazed  hat 
soared  over  the  heads  of  the  audience,  and  fell  on  the  stage, — a  purely 
nautical  substitute  for  a  bouquet.  Late  at  night,  the  sailors  returned  to 
their  ship,  elated  with  an  ovation  the  like  of  which  has  never  since  beet? 
tendered  to  the  humble  heroes  of  the  forecastle  or  the  ranks. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


BAINBRIDGE  TAKES  COMMAND  OF  THE  "  CONSTITUTION." -THE  DE^ 
FEAT  OF  THE  "  JAVA."  —  CLOSE  OF  THE  YEAR'S  HOSTILITIES  ON 
THE  OCEAN. 


3  Hull  and  Decatur  sat  in  the  gayly  decorated  banquet-hall  at 
New  York,  and,  amid  the  plaudits  of  the  brilliant  assembly, 
drank  bumpers  to  the  success  of  the  navy,  they  litttle  thought 
that  thousands  of  miles  away  the  guns  of  an  American  frigate 
were  thundering,  and  the  stout-hearted  blue-jackets  laying  down  their 
lives  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  the  United  States.  But  so  it  was.  The 
opening  year  of  the  war  was  not  destined  to  close  without  yet  a  fourth 
naval  victory  for  the  Americans ;  and,  at  the  very  moment  when  they 
were  so  joyfully  celebrating  the  glories  already  won,  Capt.  Bainbridge  in 
the  good  ship  "  Constitution "  was  valiantly  giving  battle  to  a  British 
frigate  far  south  of  the  equator. 

Before  considering  the  details  of  this  last  action  of  the  year  1812,  let 
us  recount  briefly  the  movements  of  some  American  vessels  in   commis- 
334 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  335 


sion  at  this  time.  After  sending  the  "Guerriere"  to  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  and  bringing  her  officers  and  crew  in  triumph  into  Boston,  Capt. 
Hull  had  voluntarily  relinquished  the  command  of  the  "Constitution,"  in 
order  that  some  other  officer  might  win  laurels  with  the  noble  frigate. 
In  his  place  was  appointed  Capt.  Bainbridge,  who  had  served  in  the 
wars  with  France  and  Tripoli.  After  a  short  time  spent  in  refitting, 
Bainbridge  sailed  from  Boston,  accompanied  by  the  "  Hornet,"  eighteen 
guns.  The  "  Essex,"  thirty-two,  Capt.  Porter,  was  lying  in  the  Delaware 
at  the  time  Bainbridge  left  Boston,  and  her  captain  was  ordered  to  cruise 
in  the  track  of  British  West-Indiamen.  After  spending  some  time  in 
this  service,  he  was  to  turn  southward  and  visit  several  South  American 
ports,  with  a  view  to  joining  Bainbridge.  Should  he  fail  to  find  the 
"  Constitution,"  he  was  free  to  act  at  his  own  discretion.  This  permis 
sion  gave  Porter  an  opportunity  to  make  a  cruise  seldom  equalled  in 
naval  annals,  and  which  will  form  the  subject  of  a  subsequent  chapter. 

The  "  Constitution  "  and  "  Hornet "  left  Boston  on  the  26th  of  October, 
and  shaped  their  course  at  once  for  the  south.  They  put  in  at  two  or 
three  ports  which  had  been  named  to  Capt.  Porter  as  meeting-places, 
but,  finding  no  trace  of  the  "Essex,"  continued  their  cruise.  At  Port 
Praya  in  the  island  of  St.  Jago,  and  at  Fernando  Noronha,  the  two 
ships  assumed  the  character  of  British  men-of-war.  Officers  from  whose 
uniform  every  trace  of  the  American  eagle  had  been  carefully  removed 
went  ashore,  and,  after  paying  formal  visits  to  the  governors  of  the  two 
islands,  requested  permission  to  leave  letters  for  Sir  James  Yeo  of  His 
Majesty's  service.  Though  directed  to  this  prominent  British  naval  officer, 
the  letters  were  intended  for  Capt.  Porter,  and  contained  directions  for 
his  cruise,  written  in  sympathetic  ink.  After  the  letters  were  deposited, 
the  two  vessels  left ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  the  British  colors  came 
down  from  the  masthead  as  soon  as  the  ships  were  out  of  sight. 

The  next  point  at  which  the  American  ships  stopped  was  San  Sal 
vador,  on  the  coast  of  Brazil.  Here  Bainbridge  lay-to  outside  the  harbor, 
and  sent  in  Capt.  Lawrence  with  the  "  Hornet "  to  communicate  with 
the  American  consul.  Lawrence  returned  greatly  excited.  In  the  harbor 
he  had  found  the  British  sloop-of-war  "Bonne  Citoyenne,"  of  twenty 
guns,  which  was  on  the  point  of  sailing  for  England.  A  more  evenly 
matched  adversary  for  the  "  Hornet "  could  not  have  been  found,  and 


336 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


the  Yankee  sailors  longed  for  an  engagement.  A  formal  challenge  was 
sent,  through  the  American  consul,  to  the  captain  of  the  British  ship, 
requesting  him  to  come  out  and  try  conclusions  with  the  "Hornet." 
Every  assurance  was  offered  that  the  "  Constitution "  would  remain  in 
the  offing,  and  take  no  part  in  the  battle,  which  was  to  test  the  strength 
of  the  two  equally  matched  ships  only.  Some  days  later,  this  challenge 
was  reduced  to  writing,  and  sent  to  the  English  captain.  But  that 
officer  declined  the  challenge,  giving  as  his  reason  the  fact  that  he  had 
in  his  ship  over  half  a  million  pounds  in  specie,  which  it  was  his  duty 


ASSUMING  TO  BE  BRITISH   MEN-OF-WAR. 

to  convey  to  England.  For  him  to  give  battle  to  the  "  Hornet,"  would 
therefore  be  unwise,  as  he  would  put  in  jeopardy  this  money  which  it 
was  his  duty  to  guard.  This  response  was  conclusive,  and  the  English 
man  must  be  admitted  to  have  acted  wisely;  but  the  knowledge  of  the 
valuable  cargo  of  the  "  Bonne  Citoyenne  "  only  increased  the  desire  of 
the  Americans  to  capture  her.  The  "  Hornet "  accordingly  remained 
outside  the  harbor,  as  a  blockader,  while  the  "  Constitution  "  continued 
her  cruise  alone. 

She  had  not  far  to  go  in  order  to  meet  an  enemy  well  worthy  of  her 
metal.     Three  days  after  parting  with  the  "Hornet,"  two  sail  were  made, 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  337 

well  in  shore.  One  of  the  vessels  so  sighted  seemed  to  make  for  the 
land,  as  though  anxious  to  avoid  meeting  the  American  ship ;  while  the 
other  came  about,  and  made  her  course  boldly  toward  the  "Constitution." 

It  was  about  nine  o'clock  on  a  bright  December  morning  that  the 
"Constitution"  encountered  the  strange  vessel,  which  bore  down  upon  her. 
A  light  breeze,  of  sufficient  force  to  enable  the  vessels  to  manoeuvre,  was 
blowing ;  but  the  surface  of  the  ocean  was  as  placid  as  a  lake  in  summer. 
The  build  of  the  stranger  left  no  doubt  of  her  warlike  character,  and  the 
bold  manner  in  which  she  sought  a  meeting  with  the  American  ship  con 
vinced  Bainbridge  that  he  had  fallen  in  with  an  enemy.  The  "  Constitu 
tion  "  did  not  for  a  time  meet  the  enemy's  advances  in  kind.  Back  of 
the  advancing  frigate  could  be  seen  the  low,  dark  coast-line  of  Brazil, 
into  whose  neutral  waters  the  Englishman  could  retreat,  and  thus  gain 
protection,  if  the  conflict  seemed  to  go  against  him.  Bainbridge  deter 
mined  that  the  coming  battle  should  be  fought  beyond  the  possibility  of 
escape  for  the  vanquished,  and  therefore  drew  away  gradually  as  the 
stranger  came  on.  By  noon  the  two  ships  were  near  enough  together 
for  flags  to  be  visible,  when  Bainbridge  set  his  colors,  and  displayed  pri 
vate  signals.  The  enemy  did  the  same  ;  and,  though  his  signals  were 
unintelligible,  the  flag  that  fluttered  at  the  masthead  was  clearly  the  flag 
of  Great  Britain.  Bainbridge  continued  his  retreat  for  an  hour  longer, 
then,  being  far  enough  from  land,  took  in  his  main-sail  and  royals,  and 
tacked  toward  the  Englishman. 

By  this  time  the  strange  sail  which  had  been  sighted  in  company  with 
the  English  ship  had  disappeared.  The  low-lying  coast  of  Brazil  had  sunk 
below  the  horizon.  From  the  deck  of  the  "  Constitution,"  nothing  could  be 
seen  but  the  vast  circle  of  placid  ocean,  and  the  English  frigate  about  a  mile 
to  the  windward,  bearing  down  to  open  the  fight.  The  drums  beat,  and  the 
crew  went  quietly  and  in  perfect  order  to  their  quarters.  They  were  no 
longer  the  raw,  untrained  crew  that  had  joined  the  ship  some  months  before. 
They  were  veterans,  with  the  glorious  victory  over  the  "  Guerriere  "  fresh  in 
their  remembrance,  and  now  animated  with  a  desire  to  add  to  their  trophies 
the  strange  vessel  then  in  sight. 

As  the  enemy,  which  proved  to  be  the  "Java,"  thirty-eight,  Capt.  Lam 
bert,  came  nearer,  she  hauled  down  her  colors,  leaving  only  a  jack  flying.  A 
jack  is  a  small  flag  hoisted  at  the  bowsprit  cap.  The  Union  jack  of  the 


338  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

United  States  navy  is  a  blue  flag  dotted  with  stars,  but  without  the  stripes 
'of  the  national  flag;  the  jack  of  Great  Britain  has  the  scarlet  cross  of  St. 
George  on  a  blue  field.  The  Englishman's  action  in  hauling  down  his 
ensigns  puzzled  Bainbridge,  who  sent  a  shot  as  an  order  that  they  be  raised 
again.  The  response  to  this  reminder  came  in  the  form  of  a  heavy  broad 
side,  and  the  action  opened. 

In  the  light  wind  that  was  blowing,  the  enemy  proved  the  better  sailer, 
and  soon  forged  ahead.  His  object  was  to  cross  the  bows  of  the  Ameri 
can  ship,  and  get  in  a  raking  broadside,  —  the  end  and  aim  of  most  of  the 
naval  manoeuvring  in  those  days  of  wooden  ships  and  heavy  batteries. 
By  skilful  seamanship,  Bainbridge  warded  off  the  danger ;  and  the  fight 
continued  broadside  to  broadside.  The  firing  on  both  sides  was  rapid 
and  well  directed.  After  half  an  hour  of  fighting,  the  "Constitution" 
was  seriously  crippled  by  a  round  shot,  which  carried  away  her  wheel* 
and  wounded  Bainbridge  by  driving  a  small  copper  bolt  deep  into  his 
thigh.  For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  though  the  American  ship  was  lost 
Having  no  control  over  the  rudder,  her  head  fell  off,  her  sails  flapped 
idly  against  the  spars,  and  the  enemy  was  fast  coming  into  an  advantageous 
position.  But,  though  wounded,  the  indomitable  Yankee  captain  was  equal 
to  the  occasion.  Tackle  was  rigged  upon  the  rudder-post  between  decks, 
and  a  crew  of  jackies  detailed  to  work  the  improvised  helm.  The  helms 
men  were  far  out  of  earshot  of  the  quarter-deck :  so  a  line  of  midshipmen 
was  formed  from  the  quarter-deck  to  the  spot  where  the  sailors  tugged  at 
the  steering-lines. 

"  Hard-a-port ! "  Bainbridge  would  shout  from  his  station  on  the 
quarter-deck. 

M  Hard-a-port !  Hard-a-port !  "  came  the  quick  responses,  as  the  mid 
shipmen  passed  the  word  along.  And  so  the  ship  was  steered ;  and,  not 
withstanding  the  loss  of  her  wheel,  fairly  out-manoeuvred  her  antagonist. 
The  first  raking  broadside  was  delivered  by  the  "  Constitution,"  and  did 
terrible  execution  along  the  gun-deck  of  the  English  ship.  The  two  ships 
then  ran  before  the  wind,  exchanging  broadsides  at  a  distance  of  half 
pistol-shot.  At  this  game  the  American  was  clearly  winning :  so  the 
Englishman  determined  to  close  and  board,  in  the  dashing,  fearless  way 
that  had  made  the  tars  of  Great  Britain  the  terror  of  all  maritime 
peoples.  The  frigate  bore  down  on  the  "  Constitution,"  and  struck  her 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


339 


on  the  quarter;  the  long  jib-boom  tearing  its  way  through  the  rigging 
of  the  American  ship.  But,  while  this  movement  was  being  executed, 
the  American  gunners  had  not  been  idle  ;  and  the  results  of  their  labors 
were  very  evident,  in  the  rigging  of  the  "Java."  Her  jib-boom  and  bow. 


'  i  •    Jill 

li  *"T 

MARINES  PICKING   OFF  THE  ENEMY. 


sprit  were  so  shattered  by  shot,  that  they  were  on  the  point  of  giving  way ; 
and,  as  the  ships  met,  the  mizzen-mast  fell,  crashing  through  forecastle 
and  main-deck,  crushing  officers  and  sailors  beneath  it  in  the  fall,  and 
hurling  the  topmen  into  the  ocean  to  drown.  The  "Constitution" 


340  BLUE-JACKETS   OF   1812. 

shot  ahead,  but  soon  wore  and  lay  yard-arm  to  yard-arm  with  her  foe. 
For  some  minutes  the  battle  raged  with  desperation.  A  dense  sulphu 
rous  smoke  hung  about  the  hulls  of  the  two  ships,  making  any  extended 
vision  impossible.  Once  in  a  while  a  fresher  puff  of  wind,  or  a  change 
in  the  position  of  the  ships,  would  give  the  jackies  a  glimpse  of  their 
enemy,  and  show  fierce  faces  glaring  from  the  open  ports,  as  the  great 
guns  were  drawn  in  for  loading.  Then  the  gray  pall  of  smoke  fell,  and 
nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  the  carnage  near  at  hand.  The  officers  on 
the  quarter-deck  could  better  judge  of  the  progress  of  the  fray;  and, 
the  marines  stationed  there  took  advantage  of  every  clear  moment  to 
pick  off  some  enemy  with  a  shot  from  one  of  their  muskets.  High 
up  in  the  tops  of  the  "  Constitution "  were  two  small  howitzers,  with 
which  crews  of  topmen,  under  the  command  of  midshipmen,  made  lively 
play  with  grape  and  canister  upon  the  crowded  decks  of  the  enemy. 
From  the  cavernous  submarine  depths  of  the  cock-pit  and  magazine,  to 
the  tops  of  each  ship,  not  an  idler  was  to  be  found.  Chaplains,  surgeons, 
clerks,  cooks,  and  waiters  —  all  were  working  or  fighting  for  the  honor 
of  the  flag  under  which  they  served. 

Again  the  British  determined  to  board  ;  and  the  quick,  sharp  notes  ot 
the  bugle  calling  up  the  boarders  gave  warning  of  their  intentions.  The 
men  in  the  tops  of  the  American  frigate,  looking  down  from  their  loftv 
station,  could  see  the  crowd  of  boarders  and  marines  gathered  on  the  fore 
castle  and  in  the  gang-ways,  and  could  hear  the  shrill  notes  of  the  boat 
swain's  whistle  cheering  them  on.  At  that  moment,  however,  the  Ameri 
can  fire  raked  the  enemy  with  fearful  effect,  and  the  volleys  of  musketry 
from  the  marines  and  topmen  made  such  havoc  among  the  crowded 
boarders  that  the  attempt  was  abandoned.  The  deadly  fire  of  the 
Americans  was  not  slackened.  Capt.  Lambert  was  struck  down,  mortally 
wounded;  and  the  command  fell  upon  Lieut.  Chads,  who,  though  himself 
badly  wounded,  continued  the  fight  with  true  British  courage.  Over  the 
side  of  the  "Java"  hung  the  wreck  of  her  top-hamper,  which  every  broad 
side  set  on  fire.  Yet  the  British  tars  fought  on,  cheering  lustily,  and 
not  once  thinking  of  surrender,  though  they  saw  their  fore-mast  gone, 
their  mizzen-mast  shivered,  even  the  last  flag  shot  away,  and  the  last 
gun  silenced. 

When   affairs    had    reached    this  stage,  the   "Constitution,"  seeing   no 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


341 


flag  flying  on  the  enemy,  hauled  away,  and  set  about  repairing  her  own 
damages.  While  thus  engaged,  the  main-mast  of  the  "Java"  was  seen 
to  p>  by  the  board,  and  the  ship  lay  a  hopeless  wreck  upon  the  water 


IN  THE  CROSS-TREES. 

After  making  some  slight  repairs,  Bainbridge  returned  to  take  possession 
of  his  prize,  but,  to  his  surprise,  found  a  jack  still  floating  over  the  help 
less  hulk.  It  was  merely  a  bit  of  bravado,  however;  for,  as  the  "Consti- 
tution"  ranged  up  alongside,  the  jack  was  hauled  down, 


342  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

The  "Java"  proved  to  be  a  rich  prize.  She  was  one  of  the  best  of 
the  English  frigates,  and  had  just  been  especially  fitted  up  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  governor-general  of  Bombay  and  his  staff,  all  of 
whom  were  then  on  board.  This  added  to  the  regular  number  of  officers 
and  crew  more  than  one  hundred  prisoners,  mostly  of  high  rank  in 
British  military  and  social  circles. 

The  boarding  officer  found  the  ship  so  badly  cut  up  that  to  save  her 
was  impossible.  Her  loss  in  men,  including  her  captain  Henry  Lambert, 
and  five  midshipmen,  was  forty-eight,  together  with  one  hundred  and 
five  wounded,  among  whom  were  many  officers.  The  "  Constitution  "  had 
suffered  much  less  severely,  having  but  twelve  killed  and  twenty  wounded 
The  ship  herself  was  but  little  damaged ;  her  chief  injury  being  the  loss 
of  her  wheel,  which  was  immediately  replaced  by  that  of  the  "Java," 

Capt.  Bainbridge  now  found  himself  a  great  distance  from  home,  with 
a  disabled  ship  filled  with  prisoners,  many  of  whom  were  wounded. 
Even  had  the  wreck  of  the  "Java"  been  less  complete,  it  would  have 
been  hazardous  to  attempt  to  take  her  back  to  the  United  States  through 
the  West  India  waters  that  swarmed  with  British  vessels.  No  course 
was  open  save  to  take  the  prisoners  aboard  the  "  Constitution,"  and  set 
the  torch  to  the  disabled  hulk. 

To  do  this  was  a  work  of  no  little  difficulty.  The  storm  of  lead  and 
iron  that  had  swept  across  the  decks  of  the  British  frigate  had  left 
intact  not  one  of  the  boats  that  hung  from  the  davits.  The  "Constitu 
tion  "  had  fared  better ;  but,  even  with  her,  the  case  was  desperate,  for 
the  British  cannonade  had  left  her  but  two  serviceable  boats.  To  trans 
fer  from  the  sinking  ship  to  the  victorious  frigate  nearly  five  hundred 
men,  over  a  hundred  of  whom  were  wounded,  was  a  serious  task  when 
the  means  of  transfer  were  thus  limited. 

Three  days  the  "  Constitution  "  lay  by  her  defeated  enemy,  and  hour 
after  hour  the  boats  plied  between  the  two  ships.  The  first  to  be 
moved  were  the  wounded.  Tackle  was  rigged  over  the  side  of  the 
"Java;"  and  the  mangled  sufferers,  securely  lashed  in  their  hammocks, 
were  gently  lowered  into  the  waiting  boat,  and  soon  found  themselves  in 
the  sick-bay  of  the  American  ship,  where  they  received  the  gentlest 
treatment  from  those  who  a  few  hours  before  sought  only  to  slay  them. 
The  transfer  of  the  wounded  once  accomplished,  the  work  proceeded  with 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  343 

great  rapidity:  and  in  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  the  "Constitution" 
was  filled  with  prisoners;  and  the  "Java,"  a  deserted,  shattered  hulk, 
was  ready  for  the  last  scene  in  the  drama  of  her  career. 

The  last  boat  left  the  desolate  wreck,  and,  reaching  the  "Constitu 
tion,"  was  hauled  up  to  the  davits.  The  side  of  the  American  frigate 
next  to  the  abandoned  ship  was  crowded  with  men,  who  looked  eagerly 
across  the  water.  Through  the  open  port-holes  of  the  "Java,"  a  flick 
ering  gleam  could  be  seen,  playing  fitfully  upon  the  decks  and  gun- 
carriages.  The  light  grew  brighter,  and  sharp-tongued  flames  licked  the 
outside  of  the  hull,  and  set  the  tangled  cordage  in  a  blaze.  With  this 
the  whole  ship  seemed  to  burst  into  fire,  and  lay  tossing,  a  huge  ball  of 
flame,  on  the  rising  sea.  When  the  fire  was  raging  most  fiercely,  there 
came  a  terrific  explosion,  and  the  great  hull  was  lifted  bodily  from  the 
water,  falling  back  shattered  into  countless  bits.  Guns,  anchors,  and  iron 
work  dragged  the  greater  part  of  the  wreckage  to  the  bottom  ;  and  when 
the  "  Constitution,"  with  all  sail  set,  left  the  spot,  the  captive  English 
men,  looking  sadly  back,  could  see  only  a  patch  of  charred  wood-work 
and  cordage  floating  upon  the  ocean  to  mark  the  burial-place  of  the 
sturdy  frigate  "  Java." 

The  "  Constitution "  made  sail  for  San  Salvador,  where  the  prisoners 
were  landed  ;  first  giving  their  paroles  not  to  serve  against  the  "  United 
States "  until  regularly  exchanged.  Bainbridge  then  took  his  ship  to 
Boston,  where  she  arrived  in  February,  1813. 

The  substitution  of  the  wheel  of  the  "Java"  for  that  of  the  "Con 
stitution,"  shot  away  in  battle,  has  been  alluded  to.  In  his  biography  of 
Capt.  Bainbridge,  Fenimore  Cooper  relates  a  story  of  interest  regarding 
this  trophy.  It  was  a  year  or  two  after  peace  was  made  with  England, 
in  1815,  that  a  British  naval  officer  visited  the  "Constitution,"  then 
lying  at  the  Boston  navy-yard.  The  frigate  had  been  newly  fitted  out  for 
a  cruise  to  the  Mediterranean ;  and  an  American  officer,  with  some  pride, 
showed  the  Englishman  over  the  ship,  which  was  then  undoubtedly  the 
finest  of  American  naval  vessels.  After  the  tour  of  the  ship  had  been 
made,  the  host  said,  as  they  stood  chatting  on  the  quarter-deck,  — 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  her?" 

"  She  is  one  of  the  finest  frigates,  if  not  the  very  finest,  I  ever  put 

my   foot   aboard   of,"  responded   the    Englishman ;    "  but,  as    I   must   find 
15 


344  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


some  fault,  I'll  just  say  that  your  wheel  is  one  of  the  clumsiest  things  I 
ever  saw,  and  is  unworthy  of  the  vessel." 

The  American  officer  laughed. 

"Well,  you  see,"  said  he,  "when  the  'Constitution'  took  the  'Java,1 
the  former's  wheel  was  shot  out  of  her.  The  'Java's'  wheel  was  fitted 
on  the  victorious  frigate,  to  steer  by ;  and,  although  we  think  it  as  ugly 
as  you  do,  we  keep  it  as  a  trophy." 

All  criticisms  on  the  wheel  ended  then  and  there. 

The  defeat  of  the  "Java"  closed  the  warfare  on  the  ocean  during 
1812.  The  year  ended  with  the  honors  largely  in  the  possession  of  the 
United  States  navy.  The  British  could  boast  of  the  capture  of  but  two 
armed  vessels,  —  the  "Nautilus,"  whose  capture  by  an  overwhelming  force 
we  have  already  noted;  and  the  little  brig  "Vixen,"  twelve  guns,  which 
Sir  James  Yeo,  with  the  "Southampton,"  thirty-two,  had  overhauled  and 
captured  in  the  latter  part  of  November.  The  capture  of  the  "  Wasp " 
by  the  "  Poictiers,"  when  the  American  sloop-of-war  was  cut  up  by  her 
action  with  the  "  Frolic,"  was  an  occurrence,  which,  however  unfortunate 
for  the  Americans,  reflected  no  particular  honor  upon  the  British  arms. 

In  opposition  to  this  record,  the  Americans  could  boast  of  victory  in 
four  hard-fought  battles.  In  no  case  had  they  won  through  any  lack  of 
valor  on  the  part  of  their  antagonists ;  for  the  Englishmen  had  not 
sought  to  avoid  the  battle,  and  had  fought  with  the  dogged  valor  char 
acteristic  of  their  nation.  In  one  or  two  instances,  it  is  true  that  the 
Americans  were  more  powerful  than  the  foe  whom  they  engaged  ;  but,  in 
such  cases,  the  injury  inflicted  was  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  disparity 
in  size  of  the  combatants.  The  four  great  actions  resulting  in'  the  defeat 
of  the  "Guerriere,"  the  "Frolic,"  the  "Macedonian,"  and  the  "Java," 
showed  conclusively  that  the  American  blue-jackets  were  equal  in  courage 
to  their  British  opponents,  and  far  their  superiors  in  coolness,  skill,  dis 
cipline,  and  self-reliance ;  and  these  qualities  may  be  said  to  have  won 
the  laurels  for  the  American  navy  that  were  conceded  to  it  by  all 
impartial  observers. 

Besides  the  victories  over  the  four  British  ships  enumerated,  the 
Americans  had  captured  the  "  Alert,"  and  a  British  transport  bearing  a 
considerable  detachment  of  troops.  These  achievements,  as  involving  no 
bloodshed,  may  be  set  off  against  the  captures  of  the  "  Nautilus "  and 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  345 


"Vixen"  by  the  British.  Of  the  number  of  British  merchant-vessels 
captured,  the  records  are  so  incomplete  that  no  accurate  estimate  can  be 
made.  To  the  naval  vessels  are  accredited  forty-six  captures  among  the 
enemy's  merchant-marine,  and  this  estimate  is  probably  very  nearly  accu 
rate.  But  with  the  declaration  of  war,  Portsmouth,  Salem,  New  London, 
New  York,  Baltimore,  and,  indeed,  every  American  seaport,  fitted  out  fleet 
privateers  to  prey  upon  the  enemy's  commerce.  The  sails  of  this  private 
armed  navy  fairly  whitened  the  sea,  and  few  nights  were  not  illuminated 
by  the  flames  of  some  burning  prize.  As  their  chief  object  was  plunder, 
the  aim  of  the  privateers  was  to  get  their  prize  safely  into  port  ;  but, 
when  this  was  impossible,  they  were  not  slow  in  applying  the  torch  to 
the  captured  vessel.  The  injury  they  inflicted  upon  the  enemy  was 
enormous,  and  the  record  of  their  exploits  might  well  engage  the  indus 
try  of  painstaking  historians.  As  an  adjunct  to  the  regular  navy,  they 
were  of  great  service  in  bringing  the  war  to  a  happv  conclusion. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  British  men-of-war  and  privateers 
were  idle  while  the  Americans  were  thus  sweeping  the  seas.  More  than 
.one  American  vessel  set  sail  boldly  from  some  little  New  England  port, 
freighted  with  the  ventures  of  all  classes  of  tradesmen,  only  to  be  snapped 
up  by  a  rapacious  cruiser.  But  the  mercantile  marine  of  the  United 
States  was  but  small,  and  offered  no  such  rewards  to  enterprising  priva 
teers  as  did  the  goodly  fleets  of  West-Indiamen  that  bore  the  flag  of 
Great  Britain.  And  so,  while  the  American  privateers  were  thriving  and 
reaping  rich  rewards  of  gold  and  glory,  those  of  the  British  were  gradu 
ally  abandoning  privateering  in  disgust.  The  American  prize-lists  grew 
so  large,  that  the  newspapers  commenced  the  practice  of  publishing 
weekly  a  list  of  the  enemy's  ships  taken  during  the  week  past.  la 
Baltimore,  Henry  Niles,  in  his  paper  "The  Weekly  Register,"  robbed 
"  The  London  Naval  Chronicle "  of  its  vainglorious  motto,  — 

"  The  winds  and  seas  are  Britain's  broad  domain, 
And  not  a  sail  but  by  permission  spreads." 

This  sentiment  Niles  printed  at  the  head  of  his  weekly  list  of  British 
vessels  captured  by  United  States  vessels, — a  bit  of  satire  not  often 
equalled  in  the  columns  of  newspapers  of  to-day. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE  WAR  ON  THE  LAKES.  — THE  ATTACK  ON  SACKETT'S  HARBOR.  -  OLIVER  HAZARD  PERRY 
ORDERED  TO  LAKE  ERIE.— THE  BATTLE  OF  PUT-IN-BAY. 

ET  us  now  abandon  for  a  time  our  consideration  of  the  progress 
of  the  great  naval  war  on  the  ocean,  and  turn  our  attention  to 
a  humbler  theatre,  in  which  the  drama  of  battle  was  proceeding 
with  no  less  credit  to  the  American  participants,  though  with 
less  grand  and  inspiring  accessories.  On  the  great  fresh-water  lakes 
which  skirt  the  northern  frontier  of  the  United  States,  the  two  warring 
powers  contended  fiercely  for  the  mastery.  But  there  were  no  desperate 
duels  between  well-matched  frigates ;  nor,  indeed,  did  either  the  British 
or  American  squadron  of  the  lake  station  boast  a  craft  of  sufficient 
armament  to  be  termed  a  frigate,  until  the  war  was  nearly  at  an  end. 
Barges,  gunboats,  sloops,  schooners,  and  brigs  made  up  the  squadrons 
that  fought  for  the  possession  of  the  fresh-water  seas  ;  and  few  either  of 
the  jackies  of  the  forecastle  or  the  officers  of  the  quarter-deck  were  bred 
to  the  regular  service.  With  such  forces  it  could  only  happen  that  the 
346 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  347 

encounters  of  the  foes  should  be  little  more  than  skirmishes,  and  that 
neither  in  immediate  loss  of  life  nor  in  direct  results  should  these  skir 
mishes  be  important.  Such,  in  fact,  was  the  general  character  of  the 
hostilities  on  the  lakes,  with  two  noteworthy  exceptions,  —  Perry's  victory 
at  Put-in-Bay,  and  McDonough's  successful  resistance  of  the  British  on 
Lake  Champlain. 

That  the  war  should  invade  the  usually  peaceful  waters  of  Ontario, 
Erie,  and  Champlain,  was  inevitable  from  the  physical  characteristics  of 
the  northern  frontier  of  the  United  States.  Great  Britain  held  Canada ; 
and  an  invasion  of  her  enemy's  territory  from  that  province  was  a  military 
measure,  the  advisability  of  which  was  evident  to  the  most  untaught 
soldier.  No  overland  expedition  could  hope  to  make  its  way  through  the 
dense  forests  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  or  the  Adirondack 
region  of  New  York.  But  the  lakes  offered  a  tempting  opening  for  inva 
sion.  Particularly  did  the  placid,  navigable  waters  of  Lake  Champlain, 
stretching  from  the  Canada  line  far  into  the  heart  of  New  York,  invite 
the  invader;  while  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  afforded  an  opportunity  for 
attacking  the  Americans  on  what  was  then,  practically,  their  western 
frontier. 

The  Americans  were  not  slow  in  perceiving  the  dangers  that  threat 
ened  their  north-western  frontier,  and  began  to  prepare  for  its  defence 
most  energetically  at  the  first  declaration  of  war.  It  was  a  work  that 
taxed  to  the  utmost  the  resources  of  the  young  country.  The  shores  of 
the  lakes  as  far  west  as  Detroit  were  open  to  the  attacks  of  the  enemy, 
and,  although  part  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States,  were  really  more 
accessible  to  the  invaders  than  to  the  American  defenders.  The  popula 
tion  was  sparse,  and  the  means  of  transportation  very  primitive.  Before 
the  days  of  railroads,  canals,  or  even  well-kept  turnpikes,  troops,  seamen, 
ordnance,  and  all  munitions  of  war  could  only  be  transported  from  the 
cities  on  the  seacoast  by  the  most  laborious  hauling  over  roads  hardly 
worthy  of  the  name.  Nor  was  the  transportation  problem  solved  during 
the  continuance  of  the  war.  When  in  May,  1814,  the  new  United  States 
frigate  "Superior"  lay  at  her  dock  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  her  ordnance, 
stores,  and  cordage  had  to  be  brought  from  Oswego  Falls,  some  fifty 
miles  away.  A  clear  water-route  by  the  Oswego  River  and  the  lake 
offered  itself;  but  Sir  James  Yeo,  with  his  squadron,  was  blockading  the 


348  BLUE-JACKETS  OF  1812. 

mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  the  chance  for  blockade-runners  was  small 
indeed.  To  carry  the  heavy  ordnance  and  cables  overland,  was  out  of  the 
question.  The  dilemma  was  most  perplexing,  but  Yankee  ingenuity  finally 
enabled  the  "  Superior "  to  get  her  outfit.  The  equipment  was  loaded 
upon  a  small  fleet  of  barges  and  scows,  which  a  veteran  lake  captain  took 
to  a  point  sixteen  miles  from  the  blockaded  harbor.  By  sailing  by  night, 
and  skulking  up  creeks  and  inland  water-ways,  the  transports  reached  this 
point  without  attracting  the  attention  of  the  blockading  fleet.  They  had, 
however,  hardly  arrived  when  news  of  the  enterprise  came  to  the  ears  of 
the  British,  and  an  expedition  was  sent  to  intercept  the  Americans,  which 
expedition  the  Yankees  successfully  resisted.  The  question  then  arose  as 
to  how  the  stores  were  to  be  taken  across  the  sixteen  miles  of  marsh 
and  forest  that  lay  between  the  boats  and  the  navy-yard  at  Sackett's 
Harbor.  The  cannon  and  lighter  stores  were  transported  on  heavy  carts 
with  great  difficulty,  but  there  still  remained  the  great  cable.  How  to 
move  this  was  a  serious  question.  No  cart  could  bear  its  ponderous 
weight  of  ninety-six  hundred  pounds.  Again  Yankee  ingenuity  and  pluck 
came  to  the  rescue.  Two  hundred  men  volunteered  to  carry  the  great 
rope  on  their  shoulders,  and  in  this  way  it  actually  was  transported. 
Along  the  shore  of  the  little  creek  the  great  cable  was  stretched  out 
with  prodigious  labor,  and  lay  there  looking  like  a  gigantic  serpent.  The 
two  hundred  men  ranged  themselves  along  the  line  at  regular  intervals, 
and  at  a  given  signal  hoisted  the  burden  to  their  shoulders.  At  the  word 
of  command,  all  stepped  off  briskly  together,  and  the  long  line  wound 
along  the  narrow  path  through  the  forests.  They  started  out  cheerily 
enough,  enlivening  the  work  with  songs  and  jests;  but  at  the  end  of  the 
first  mile  all  were  glad  enough  to  throw  down  the  load,  and  loiter  a  while 
by  the  roadside.  A  few  minutes'  rest,  and  up  and  on  again.  Now  arms 
began  to  ache,  and  shoulders  to  chafe,  under  the  unusual  burden  ;  but  the 
march  continued  until  noon  of  the  next  day,  when  the  footsore  and  weary 
carriers  marched  proudly  into  Sackett's  Harbor,  to  find  sailors  and  soldiers 
assembled  to  greet  them  with  bands  and  cannon-firing.  In  accordance 
with  the  custom  of  the  time,  these  demonstrations  of  honor  were  supple 
mented  by  the  opening  of  a  barrel  of  whiskey,  in  honor  of  the  arrival  of 
the  cable. 

This  incident,  trivial    in  itself,  is  typical  of  that  ingenuity  and  fertility 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF   1812.  349 


of  resource,  which,  more  than  any  thing  else,  contributed  to  the  success  of 
the  Americans,  not  only  in  the  lake  operations  of  the  war  of  1812,  but  in 
every  war  the  nation  has  since  undertaken.  But  the  advantages  gained 
by  Yankee  enterprise  and  ingenuity  were,  perhaps,  more  evident  in  the 
operations  on  Lake  Ontario  and  Lake  Erie  than  in  the  operations  of 
the  armies,  or  of  the  fleets  upon  the  ocean.  The  great  contest  lay  more 
in  the  rapid  building  of  ships  than  in  fighting  them.  At  the  outset  the 
enemy  were  better  equipped  for  the  struggle  than  were  the  Americans. 
The  Canadian  frontier  had  been  longer  settled,  and  could  lend  more  men 
to  the  needs  of  the  nation.  More  than  this,  the  route  to  the  ocean  by 
the  St.  Lawrence  River  made  it  really  easier  to  transport  naval  stores 
from  far-off  Liverpool  to  the  British  naval  station  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Ontario,  than  to  carry  like  goods  across  the  wooded  hills  of  New  York. 
Nor  were  the  British  altogether  without  naval  resources  upon  the  lakes 
at  the  hour  when  war  was  declared.  On  Lake  Erie  the  English  flag 
waved  over  the  "  Royal  George,"  twenty-two ;  "  Prince  Regent,"  sixteen  ; 
"Earl  of  Moira,"  fourteen;  "Gloucester,"  ten;  "Seneca,"  eight;  and 
"  Simcoe,"  eight.  Opposed  to  this  squadron  was  but  one  United  States 
/essel, — the  "Oneida,"  a  man-of-war  brig  carrying  sixteen  twenty-four- 
pound  carronades.  On  Lake  Erie  the  British  had  a  squadron  of  six 
vessels,  carrying  in  all  forty-six  guns. 

Hostilities  opened  early  on  Lake  Ontario.  For  some  time  before  the 
formal  declaration  of  war,  a  desultory  warfare  had  been  waged  by  the 
Americans  and  Canadians  about  Niagara.  Canadian  schooners  had  been 
seized  on  account  of  alleged  violations  of  the  revenue  and  embargo  regu 
lations  of  the  United  States.  The  resentment  of  the  sufferers  was  aroused, 
and  they  only  awaited  a  suitable  opportunity  to  retaliate.  The  opportunity 
soon  came,  in  the  form  of  the  declaration  of  war ;  and  a  body  of  Canadian 
volunteers  attacked  eight  American  schooners,  near  the  Thousand  Isles, 
and  burned  two  of  them. 

With  the  opening  of  the  war,  the  United  States  authorities  had  fixed 
upon  Sackett's  Harbor  as  the  naval  station  for  Lake  Ontario.  In  the 
harbor,  on  the  iQth  of  July,  1812,  lay  the  "Oneida,"  which  had  lately 
come  into  port  after  a  short  cruise  in  search  of  British  schooners.  At 
early  dawn  of  the  day  mentioned,  the  lookout  reported  five  ships  in  the 
offing,  and  a  few  minutes  later  hailed  the  deck,  to  report  them  to  be 


35o  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

British  ships-of-war.  The  alarm  quickly  spread  over  the  little  town.  Puny 
though  the  British  fleet  would  have  appeared  upon  the  ocean,  it  was  of 
ample  power  to  take  the  "Oneida"  and  destroy  the  village.  Before  the 
villagers  fairly  understood  their  peril,  a  small  boat  came  scudding  into 
the  harbor  before  the  wind.  It  bore  a  message  from  the  British  com 
mander,  demanding  that  the  "Oneida"  and  the  "Lord  Nelson"  (a  cap 
tured  Canadian  vessel)  be  surrendered.  Should  the  squadron  be  resisted, 
he  warned  the  inhabitants  that  their  town  should  be  burned  to  the 
ground. 

Commander  Woolsey,  who  commanded  the  "  Oneida,"  was  a  United 
States  officer  of  the  regular  service,  and  a  man  of  courage  and  fertility 
of  resource.  Unable  to  take  his  vessel  out  into  the  lake,  he  moored  her 
at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  in  such  a  way  that  her  broadside  of  nine 
guns  might  be  brought  to  bear  on  the  enemy.  All  hands  then  set  to 
work  getting  the  other  broadside  battery  ashore  ;  and,  by  the  aid  of  the 
villagers,  these  guns  were  mounted  on  a  hastily  thrown  up  redoubt  on 
the  shore.  At  the  foot  of  the  main  street  of  the  village  was  planted  a 
queerly  assorted  battery.  The  great  gun,  on  which  the  hopes  of  the 
Americans  centred,  was  an  iron  thirty-two-pounder,  which  had  lain  for 
years  deeply  embedded  in  the  muddy  ooze  of  the  lake-shore,  gaining 
thereby  the  derisive  name  of  the  "Old  Sow."  This  redoubtable  piece 
of  ordnance  was  flanked  on  either  side  by  a  brass  six-pounder ;  a  pair  of 
cannon  that  the  Yankee  sailors  had,  with  infinite  pains  and  indomitable 
perseverance,  dredged  up  from  the  sunken  hulk  of  a  British  war-vessel 
that  had  filled  a  watery  grave  some  years.  Two  brass  nine-pounders  com 
pleted  this  novel  armament. 

It  was  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  British  vessels 
came  up  within  range.  Alarm  guns  had  been  firing  from  the  shore  all 
the  morning  ;  and  by  that  time  the  village  was  filled  with  militia-men, 
who  flocked  to  the  scene  of  action.  Woolsey,  who  had  taken  charge  of 
the  shore-batteries,  ordered  a  shot  from  the  thirty-two  pounder.  The  "  old 
sow "  spoke  out  bravely,  but  the  shot  missing,  only  roused  the  enemy  to 
laughter,  which  could  be  heard  on  shore.  The  British  vessels  then  began 
a  vigorous  cannonade,  keeping  well  out  of  range  of  the  small  guns  on 
shore ;  although  so  weak  were  the  American  defences,  that  a  vigorous 
onslaught  by  the  enemy  would  have  quickly  reduced  the  town  to  submis- 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  351 


sion.  As  it  was,  a  harmless  fire  was  kept  up  for  about  two  hours.  Not 
a  shot  took  effect,  and  nothing  save  the  noise  and  excitement  of  the 
cannonading  need  have  deterred  the  good  people  of  Sackett's  Harbor 
from  observing  that  Sunday  morning  in  accordance  with  their  usual 
sabbath  customs.  It  was  reserved  for  one  shot  to  put  an  end  to  this 
strange  engagement.  Just  as  the  artillerists  who  served  the  iron  thirty- 
two  pounder  were  loading  the  gun,  a  cannon-ball  struck  the  ground  near 
the  battery.  One  of  the  Americans  ran,  and,  picking  up  the  spent  ball, 
brought  it  into  the  battery,  saying,  "  I've  been  playing  ball  with  the  red 
coats,  and  have  caught  them  out.  Let's  see  now  if  they  can  catch  back 
again."  So  saying,  he  rammed  the  missile  down  the  muzzle  of  the  long 
thirty-two,  and  sent  it  back  with  deadly  aim.  The  captured  ball  crashed 
into  the  stern  of  the  "  Royal  George,"  raked  her  from  stem  to  stern, 
killing  fourteen  men,  and  wounding  eighteen  in  its  course.  The  marks 
man,  watching  the  course  of  his  shot,  saw  the  splinters  fly  from  the  deck 
of  the  British  ship;  and  the  Americans  cheered  loudly  for  the  "old  sow" 
as  the  British  squadron  put  about,  and  left  the  Sackett's  Harbor  people 
to  celebrate  their  easily  won  victory. 

Insignificant  though  this  engagement  was,  it  was  the  chief  battle  of 
the  year  on  Lake  Ontario.  The  Americans  strained  every  nerve  to  put 
more  armed  vessels  afloat,  and,  being  left  unmolested  by  the  British, 
managed  to  have  quite  a  flotilla  in  commission  before  winter  set  its  icy 
seal  upon  the  lake.  In  September,  Capt.  Isaac  Chauncey  was  appointed 
commander-in-chief  of  the  lake  navy ;  and,  on  his  arrival,  he  proved  him 
self  the  very  man  for  the  place.  He  rushed  ahead  the  building  of  new 
ships,  arranged  for  the  transportation  of  seamen  from  the  seacoast  to 
man  the  vessels  on  the  lakes,  and  then,  not  content  with  attending  only 
to  the  building  of  the  ships,  took  command  of  the  squadron  in  commis 
sion,  and  fairly  swept  the  lake  clear  of  the  enemy's  vessels.  He  met 
with  little  opposition  as  the  British  retired  to  their  naval  station  at 
Kingston,  remaining  there  until  all  further  naval  operations  were  checked 
by  the  ice. 

Winter,  which  seriously  impeded  the  work  of  the  British  by  putting 
an  end  to  navigation  upon  the  St.  Lawrence,  did  away  with  many  of  the 
difficulties  of  transportation  which  had  so  hampered  the  Americans. 
The  roads  to  the  seacoast  grew  hard,  and  were  soon  covered  with  snow, 


352  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

over  which  long  teams  of  oxen  plodded  to  and  fro  until  the  path  was 
well  broken.  Then  began  the  hauling  of  supplies  from  the  seaboard. 
From  his  post  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  Chauncey  sent  out  requisitions  for 
ship-timber,  cordage,  ordnance,  and  ship-carpenters.  Long  trains  of 
heavily  laden  wagons  and  sledges  wound  their  way  across  the  State  from 
New  York  or  Albany  to  the  station  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  Agents  were 
appointed  in  the  seacoast  towns  to  enlist  seamen  for  service  on  the 
lakes,  —  a  work  that  required  no  small  powers  of  persuasion;  for  the  true 
salt-water  jack  looks  with  great  disfavor  upon  the  "  fish-ponds  "  of  fresh 
water.  But,  by  dint  of  munificent  offers  of  bounties  and  prize-money, 
several  hundred  sailors  were  induced  to  leave  their  ships  on  the  ocean, 
and  take  service  in  the  infant  navy  of  the  lakes. 

Most  of  the  sailors  were  sent  across  the  State  in  the  dead  of  winter. 
The  trip  was  made  in  huge  sleds,  drawn  by  several  pairs  of  horses,  and 
tarrying  a  score  or  more  men  each.  The  jackies  enlivened  the  journey 
vith  rollicking  songs  and  stories  as  the  sleds  sped  over  the  well-packed 
roads  through  the  sparsely  settled  country.  One  of  the  largest  parties 
was  accompanied  by  a  brass  band,  with  the  aid  of  which  the  sailors  mad^ 
their  entrance  to  the  villages  along  the  road  in  truly  royal  style.  The 
sleighs  and  horses  were  gayly  decked  with  the  national  colors.  The  band 
led  in  the  first  sleigh,  closely  followed  by  three  other  sledges,  filled  with 
blue-coated  men.  Before  the  little  tavern  of  the  town  the  cortege  usually 
came  to  a  halt ;  and  the  tars,  descending,  followed  up  their  regulation 
cheers  with  demands  for  grog  and  provender.  After  a  halt  of  an  hour 
or  two,  the  party  continued  its  way,  followed  by  the  admiration  of  every 
villager,  and  the  envy  of  every  boy  large  enough  to  have  seafaring 
ambitions. 

With  all  his  energy  and  unswerving  fidelity  to  the  cause  of  his  country, 
Chauncey  probably  did  nothing  of  more  direct  benefit  to  the  United 
States  than  writing  a  letter  to  a  young  naval  officer,  then  stationed  at 
Newport,  asking  him  to  come  West  and  take  charge  of  the  naval  opera 
tions  on  Lake  Erie.  The  name  of  this  young  officer  was  Oliver  Hazard 
Perry,  and  a  year  later  no  name  in  American  history  carried  with  it 
more  fame. 

Hostilities  on  Lake  Erie  had  been  unimportant  up  to  the  time  that 
Chauncey  sent  for  Perry.  The  Americans  had  no  naval  vessel  to  oppose 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  353 

to  the  fleet  of  Canadian  craft  that  held  the  lake.  One  war-vessel  only 
had  shown  the  American  flag  on  the  lake  ;  and  she  had  been  fitted  out 
by  the  army,  and  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  at  the  sur 
render  of  Detroit.  But  this  prize  was  not  destined  to  remain  long  in 
the  hands  of  the  Canadians.  Early  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  Chauncey 
had  sent  Lieut.  Elliott  to  Lake  Erie,  with  instructions  to  begin  at  once 
the  creation  of  a  fleet  by  building  or  purchasing  vessels.  Elliott  chosa 
as  the  site  of  his  improvised  navy-yard  Black  Rock,  a  point  two  miles 
below  Buffalo  ;  and  there  pushed  ahead  his  work  in  a  way  that  soon  con 
vinced  the  enemy,  that,  unless  the  young  officer's  energy  received  a  check, 
British  supremacy  on  Lake  Erie  would  soon  be  at  an  end.  Accordingly, 
two  armed  brigs,  the  "  Caledonia  "  and  the  "  Detroit,"  recently  captured  by 
the  British,  came  down  to  put  an  end  to  the  Yankee  ship-building.  Like 
most  of  the  enemy's  vessels  on  the  lakes,  these  two  brigs  were  manned  by 
Canadians,  and  had  not  even  the  advantage  of  a  regular  naval  commander. 

On  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  October,  the  sentries  on  the  river-side 
at  Black  Rock  discovered  the  two  British  vessels  lying  at  anchor  under 
the  guns  of  Fort  Erie,  a  British  work  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Niagara 
River,  that  there  flows  placidly  along,  a  stream  more  than  a  mile  wide. 
Zealous  for  distinction,  and  determined  to  checkmate  the  enemy  in  their 
design,  Elliott  resolved  to  undertake  the  task  of  cutting  out  the  two  vessels 
from  beneath  the  guns  of  the  British  fort.  Fortune  favored  his  enter 
prise.  It  happened  that  on  that  very  day  a  detachment  of  sailors  from 
the  ocean  had  arrived  at  Black  Rock.  Though  wearied  by  their  long 
overland  journey,  the  jackies  were  ready  for  the  adventure,  but  had  no 
weapons.  In  this  dilemma  Elliott  was  forced  to  turn  for  aid  to  the 
military  authorities,  from  whom  he  obtained  pistols,  swords,  and  sabres 
enough  to  fit  out  his  sailors  for  the  fray.  With  the  arms  came  a  number 
of  soldiers  and  a  small  party  of  adventurous  citizens,  all  of  whom  enlisted 
under  the  leadership  of  the  adventurous  Elliott.  In  planning  the  expedi 
tion,  the  great  difficulty  lay  in  getting  rid  of  the  too  numerous  volunteers. 

By  nightfall,  the  preparations  for  the  expedition  were  completed.  In 
the  underbrush  that  hung  over  the  banks  of  the  river,  two  large  boats 
were  concealed,  ready  for  the  embarkation.  At  midnight  fifty  men,  armed 
to  the  teeth,  silently  took  their  places  in  each  of  the  great  barges,  and 
pushed  out  upon  the  black  surface  of  the  river.  All  along  the  bank 


354  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


were  crowds  of  eager  watchers,  who  discussed  the  chances  of  success  with 
bated  breath,  lest  the  merest  whisper  should  alarm  the  British  sentries 
on  the  farther  shore.  With  steady  strokes  of  the  muffled  oars,  the  two 
boats  made  their  way  toward  the  two  brigs  that  could  just  be  seen  out 
lined  against  the  sky.  Elliott,  in  the  first  boat,  directed  the  movements 
of  his  men,  and  restrained  the  too  enthusiastic.  So  stealthy  was  the 
approach,  that  the  foremost  boat  was  fairly  alongside  of  the  " Detroit" 
before  the  British  took  the  alarm.  Then  the  quick  hail  of  the  sentry 
brought  an  answering  pistol-shot  from  Elliott ;  and,  amid  volleys  of  mus 
ketry,  the  assailants  clambered  up  the  sides  of  the  brigs,  and  with  pistol 
and  cutlass  drove  the  startled  crew  below.  So  complete  was  the  surprise, 
that  the  British  made  but  little  resistance ;  and  the  cables  of  the  brigs 
were  cut,  sails  spread,  and  the  vessels  under  way,  before  the  thunder  of 
a  gun  from  Fort  Erie  told  that  the  British  on  shore  had  taken  the  alarm. 

At  the  report  of  the  first  shot  fired,  the  dark  line  of  the  American 
shore  suddenly  blazed  bright  with  huge  beacon  fires,  while  lanterns  and 
torches  were  waved  from  commanding  points  to  guide  the  adventurous 
sailors  in  their  navigation  of  the  captured  brigs.  But  the  victors  were 
not  to  escape  unscathed  with  their  booty.  The  noise  of  the  conflict,  and 
the  shouts  of  the  Americans  on  the  distant  bank  of  the  river,  roused  the 
British  officers  in  the  fort,  and  the  guns  were  soon  trained  on  the  reced 
ing  vessels.  Some  field-batteries  galloped  along  the  bank,  and  soon  had 
their  guns  in  a  position  whence  they  could  pour  a  deadly  fire  upon  the 
Americans.  Nor  did  the  spectators  on  the  New  York  side  of  the  river 
escape  unharmed  ;  for  the  first  shot  fired  by  the  field-battery  missed  the 
brigs,  but  crossed  the  river  and  struck  down  an  American  officer.  Almost 
unmanageable  in  the  swift  current  and  light  wind,  the  two  brigs  seemed 
for  a  time  in  danger  of  recapture.  The  "  Caledonia "  was  run  ashore 
under  the  guns  of  an  American  battery ;  but  the  "  Detroit,"  after  being 
relieved  of  the  prisoners,  and  deserted  by  her  captors,  was  beached  at  a 
point  within  range  of  the  enemy's  fire.  The  British  made  several  deter 
mined  attempts  to  recapture  her,  but  were  beaten  off ;  and,  after  a  day's 
fighting  around  the  vessel,  she  was  set  on  fire  and  burned  to  the  water's 
edge.  The  "  Caledonia,"  however,  remained  to  the  Americans,  and  some 
months  later  did  good  service  against  her  former  owners. 

It   was    shortly   after   this    occurrence    that    Lieut.   Perry  offered    his 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  355 

services  for  the  lakes ;  and  four  months  later  he  received  a  letter  from 
Chauncey,  saying,  "  You  are  the  very  person  that  I  want  for  a  particular 
service,  in  which  you  may  gain  reputation  for  yourself,  and  honor  for 
your  country."  This  letter  was  quickly  followed  by  orders  from  the  Sec 
retary  of  the  Navy  to  report  at  once  for  duty  to  Chauncey  at  Sackett's 
Harbor.  Perry  was  overjoyed.  The  dull  monotony  of  his  duties  at 
Newport  suited  little  his  ardent  nature.  He  longed  for  active  service, 
and  an  opportunity  to  win  distinction.  His  opportunity  had  at  last  come ; 
and  twenty  hours  after  the  receipt  of  his  orders,  he  and  his  thirteen- 
year-old  brother  were  seated  in  a  sleigh  and  fairly  started  on  the  long 
drive  across  the  country.  Travelling  was  a  serious  matter  in  those  days, 
and  the  journey  from  Newport  to  Sackett's  Harbor  required  twelve 
days. 

On  his  arrival,  Perry  found  that  the  special  service  for  which  he  was 
needed  was  the  command  of  a  naval  force  on  Lake  Erie.  He  stopped 
but  a  short  time  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  and  then  pressed  on  to  Erie,  the 
base  of  the  naval  operations  on  the  lake  of  the  same  name.  It  was  late 
in  March  when  Perry  arrived ;  and  the  signs  of  spring  already  showed 
that  soon  the  lake  would  be  clear  of  ice,  and  the  struggle  for  its  control 
recommence.  The  young  lieutenant  was  indefatigable  in  the  labor  of 
preparation.  He  urged  on  the  building  of  vessels  already  begun.  Pie 
arranged  for  the  purchase  of  merchant  schooners,  and  their  conversion 
into  gunboats.  He  went  to  Pittsburg  for  supplies,  and  made  a  flying 
trip  to  Buffalo  to  join  Chauncey  in  an  attack  upon  Fort  George  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Niagara  River.  All  the  time,  he  managed  to  keep  up  a 
constant  fire  of  letters  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  to  Chauncey, 
begging  for  more  sailors.  By  summertime,  he  had  five  vessels  ready  for 
service,  but  no  men  to  man  them.  The  enemy  blockaded  him,  and  he 
dared  not  accept  the  challenge.  In  July  he  wrote  to  Chauncey:  "The 
enemy's  fleet  of  six  sail  are  now  off  the  bar  of  this  harbor.  What  a 
golden  opportunity  if  we  had  men !  .  .  .  Give  me  men,  sir,  and  I  will 
acquire  both  for  you  and  myself  honor  and  glory  on  this  lake,  or  perish 
in  the  attempt."  Again  he  wrote :  "  For  God's  sake,  and  yours  and  mine, 
send  me  men  and  officers  ;  and  I  will  have  them  all  [the  British  squad 
ron]  in  a  day  or  two."  When  the  men  finally  did  arrive,  he  was  much 
disgusted  with  their  appearance,  pronouncing  them  to  be  "a  motley  set, 


356 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


—  blacks,  soldiers,  and  boys."  Nevertheless,  this  same  motley  crew, 
headed  by  the  critical  young  officer,  won  a  victory  that  effectually 
crushed  the  pretensions  of  the  enemy  to  the  control  of  Lake  Erie. 

His  crews  having  arrived,  Perry  was  anxious  to  get  out  upon  the 
lake,  and  engage  the  enemy  at  once.  But  this  course  of  action  was  for 
a  long  time  impossible.  The  flotilla  lay  snugly  anchored  within  the 


PERRY'S  RECRUITS. 

harbor  of  Erie,  the  entrance  to  which  was  closed  by  a  bar.  To  cross  this 
bar,  the  ships  would  have  been  obliged  to  send  all  heavy  ordnance 
ashore ;  and,  as  the  enemy  kept  close  watch  outside  the  harbor,  the 
American  fleet  was  practically  blockaded.  For  several  weeks  the  Ameri 
cans  were  thus  kept  prisoners,  grumbling  mightily  at  their  enforced 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  357 

inaction,  and  longing  for  a  chance  to  get  at  the  enemy.  One  morning 
in  August  word  was  brought  to  Perry  that  the  blockading  fleet  had  dis 
appeared.  Instantly  all  was  life  and  bustle  in  the  harbor.  The  crews 
of  all  the  vessels  were  ordered  aboard ;  and  the  flotilla  dropped  down  to 
the  bar,  intending  to  cross  early  in  the  morning.  At  dawn  the  move 
ment  was  begun.  The  schooners  and  other  small  craft  were  easily 
taken  outside ;  but,  when  it  came  to  the  turn  of  the  two  gun-brigs, 
"  Lawrence "  and  "  Niagara,"  it  became  evident  that  mechanical  assist 
ance  was  required.  Accordingly,  a  powerful  "camel"  was  hastily  impro 
vised,  by  the  aid  of  which  the  two  vessels  were  dragged  across  the  bar. 
Hardly  had  the  second  brig  made  the  passage  in  safety,  when  the  British 
fleet  appeared  in  the  offing.  Tradition  says  that  the  opportune  absence 
of  the  enemy's  fleet  was  caused  by  a  public  banquet  to  which  the  citi 
zens  of  Port  Dover  had  invited  Commodore  Barclay  and  his  officers. 
While  the  dinner  was  going  merrily  on,  the  Americans  were  hard  at 
work,  escaping  from  the  trap  in  which  the  British  had  left  them.  In 
responding  to  a  toast  at  the  banquet,  Barclay  said,  "  I  expect  to  find  the 
Yankee  brigs  hard  and  fast  on  the  bar  at  Erie  when  I  return,  in  which 
predicament  it  will  be  but  a  small  job  to  destroy  them."  His  anticipa 
tions  were  not  realized  ;  for,  on  his  arrival,  he  found  the  entire  squadron 
safely  floating  in  the  deep  water  outside  the  bar. 

Had  Barclay  but  known  it,  he  would  even  then  have  found  it  "but  a 
small  job  to  destroy  them ; "  for  the  two  brigs,  having  been  stripped  of 
their  ordnance,  would  have  been  easy  prey  for  the  British  squadron.  But 
Perry's  bold  action  in  sending  forward  two  schooners  to  engage  the  enemy 
seemed  to  alarm  the  too  prudent  commodore;  and  the  British  bore  away, 
and  were  soon  out  of  sight. 

By  night  Perry's  flotilla  was  in  readiness  for  cruising,  and  set  out 
immediately  in  pursuit  of  the  foe.  Barclay  seemed  to  avoid  the  conflict; 
and,  after  some  weeks'  cruising,  the  Americans  cast  anchor  at  Put-in-Bay, 
and  awaited  there  the  appearance  of  the  enemy. 

The  little  flotilla  that  lay  anchored  on  the  placid  waters  of  the  pictur 
esque  bay  consisted  of  nine  vessels,  ranging  in  size  from  the  "Trippe,"  a 
puny  sloop  carrying  one  gun,  to  the  "Lawrence"  and  "Niagara,"  brigs 
carrying  each  two  long  twelves  and  eighteen  short  thirty-twos.  No  very 
formidable  armada  was  that  of  a  handful  of  pygmy  vessels,  commanded  by 


358 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


a  young  officer  who  had  never  heard  the  thunderous  cannonade  of  a  naval 
battle,  or  seen  the  decks  of  his  ships  stained  with  the  blood  of  friends  and 
daily  companions.  Yet  the  work  of  the  little  squadron  saved  the  United 
States  from  invasion,  won  for  the  young  commander  a  never-dying 
fame,  and  clothed  the  vine-clad  hills,  the  pebbly  beaches,  and  the 


irt 


DRILLING   THE   RAW   RECRUITS. 


crystal  waters  of  Put-in-Bay  with  a  wealth  of  proud,  historical  associations. 
Day  after  day  the  vessels  lay  idly  at  their  anchorage,  and  the  sailors 
grew  restless  at  the  long  inactivity.  Perry  alone  was  patient ;  for  to  him 
had  come  the  knowledge  that  the  hostile  fleet  was  getting  short  of  sup 
plies,  and  would  soon  be  starved  out  of  its  retreat  at  Maiden.  Knowing 
this,  he  spared  no  pains  to  get  his  men  into  training  for  the  coming  con 
flict.  They  were  exercised  daily  at  the  great  guns,  and  put  through  severe 
drills  in  the  use  of  the  cutlass,  in  boarding,  and  repelling  boarders.  By 
constant  drill  and  severe  discipline,  Perry  had  made  of  the  motley  crew 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  359 


sent  him  a  well-drilled  body  of  seamen,  every  man  of  whom  had  become 
fired  with  the  enthusiasm  of  his  commander. 

As  the  time  passed,  and  the  day  of  battle  drew  nearer,  Perry's  confi 
dence  in  his  men  increased  ;  and  he  looked  upon  the  coming  conflict  as 
one  certain  to  bring  glory  to  his  country.  At  early  dawn  the  jackies  on 
the  ships  could  see  the  slender  form  of  their  commander  perched  upon 
the  craggy  heights  of  one  of  the  islands,  called  to  this  day  "  Perry's 
Lookout,"  eagerly  scanning  the  horizon  in  the  direction  of  Maiden.  On 
the  night  of  Sept.  9,  1813,  the  commodore  felt  convinced  that  on  the 
next  day  the  British  would  come  out  to  battle.  Accordingly,  a  confer 
ence  of  captains  was  called  in  the  cabin  of  the  flag-ship,  and  each  received 
directions  as  to  his  course  of  action  during  the  fight.  They  were  urged 
to  force  the  fighting  to  close  quarters.  Said  Perry,  "  Nelson  has  expressed 
my  idea  in  the  words,  '  If  you  lay  your  enemy  alongside,  you  cannot  be 
out  of  your  place.''  As  the  officers  were  about  to  depart,  Perry  drew 
from  a  locker  a  large,  square  blue  flag,  on  which  appeared,  in  white  letters, 
the  dying  words  of  the  gallant  Lawrence,  " DON'T  GIVE  UP  THE  SHIP!" 
"This,"  said  Perry,  "shall  be  the  signal  for  action;  and  when  it  appears 
at  the  masthead,  remember  your  instructions."  The  conference  then  ended; 
and  the  captains  returned  to  their  ships  across  the  bay,  silvered  by  the 
light  of  the  moon,  to  spend  the  greater  part  of  the  night  in  preparations 
for  the  great  danger  of  the  coming  day. 

Morning  dawned  bright  and  clear,  with  a  light  breeze  blowing,  that 
broke  into  ripples  the  surface  of  the  land-locked  bay.  The  rosy  light  of 
the  rising  sun  was  just  reddening  the  eastern  horizon,  when,  from  the 
lookout  in  the  foretop  of  the  "  Lawrence,"  came  the  long-drawn  hail  of 
"Sail,  ho!"  quickly  repeated  from  the  other  vessels. 

Perry  was  already  on  deck.  "  What  does  it  look  like  ? "  he  shouted 
to  the  lookout. 

"A  clump  of  square  rigged,  and  fore  and  afters,  sir,"  was  the  response. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  signals  "Enemy  in  sight,"  and  "Get  under  way," 
were  flying  from  the  masthead  of  the  flag-ship ;  and  the  merry  piping 
of  the  boatswains'  whistles,  and  the  measured  tramp  of  the  sailors  around 
the  capstans,  told  that  signals  were  observed,  and  were  being  obeyed. 

The  fleet  was  soon  threading  its  way  through  the  narrow  channels, 
filled  with  islands,  at  the  entrance  to  the  bay,  and  finally  came  into  line 


360  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

on  the  open  lake.  Not  a  cloud  was  in  the  sky.  The  lake  was  calm, 
with  enough  wind  blowing  to  admit  of  manoeuvring,  yet  gentle  enough 
to  be  of  advantage  to  the  >chooners  that  made  up  the  greater  part  of 
each  fleet. 

For  some  time  the  Americans  held  back,  manoeuvring  to  get  the 
weather-gauge ;  but  Perry's  impatience  for  the  fray  got  the  better  of  his 
caution,  and  he  determined  to  close  at  once.  His  first  officer  remon 
strated,  saying,  "Then  you'll  have  to  engage  the  enemy  to  leeward." 

"  I  don't  care,"  responded  the  commodore.  "  Leeward  or  windward, 
they  shall  fight  to-day."  Then,  turning  to  the  quartermaster,  he  called 
for  the  battle-flag,  which  being  brought,  he  mustered  the  crew  aft,  and 
addressed  them  briefly,  telling  them  of  the  task  before  them,  and  urging 
them  to  fight  bravely  for  the  victory.  "  My  brave  lads,"  he  concluded,  "this 
flag  bears  the  last  words  of  Capt.  Lawrence.  Shall  I  hoist  it? " 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!  "  cried  the  jackies,  in  unison;  and,  as  the  flag  was  swiftly 
run  to  the  masthead,  the  cheers  of  the  sailors  on  the  deck  of  the  "  Lawrence  " 
were  echoed  from  the  neighboring  vessels,  as  the  white  letters  showed  boldly 
against  the  blue  flag,  bearing  to  each  commander  the  exhortation,  "  Don't 
give  up  the  ship!  " 

The  battle-signal  being  thus  displayed,  the  vessels  moved  onward  to 
the  attack.  As  the  crew  of  the  "  Lawrence "  stood  at  their  guns,  the 
cooks  passed  along  the  decks,  handing  to  each  man  a  bit  of  food,  that 
his  strength  might  not  leave  him  in  the  coming  struggle.  Then  followed 
boys  with  boxes  of  sand,  which  they  strewed  upon  the  decks,  to  afford  a  firm 
foothold  for  the  men  at  the  guns.  The  hammocks  were  stowed  along  the 
nettings,  to  serve  as  some  little  protection  against  flying  shot.  The  men 
stood  silent  and  pale  at  their  quarters,  each  occupied  with  his  own  grave 
thoughts,  but  all  determined  to  fight  like  brave  men  and  true  for  the  honor 
of  the  flag.  By  Perry's  side  stood  his  brother,  a  boy  thirteen  years  old, 
armed  and  ready  to  do  his  duty  as  well  as  the  older  men. 

The  British  came  on  gallantly.  Barclay  had  lost  all  his  diffidence, 
and  brought  up  his  vessels  like  a  veteran.  His  ships  were  kept  close 
together ;  the  ship  "  Detroit "  under  short  sail,  that  the  pygmy  sloop 
"  Little  Belt "  might  not  be  left  in  the  rear.  The  Americans  came  down 
in  single  file,  headed  by  the  schooner  "  Scorpion."  Suddenly  through 
the  still  air  rang  out  the  sharp  notes  of  a  bugle-call  on  the  enemy's 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  361 

flag-ship.  It  was  the  signal  for  action ;  and,  as  the  last  notes  died  away, 
the  bands  struck  up  "  Rule,  Britannia."  The  Americans  answered  with 
cheers ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  cheering,  a  jet  of  smoke  and  fire  spurted 
from  the  side  of  the  "  Detroit,"  and  a  heavy  shot  splashed  into  the  water 
near  the  "  Lawrence,"  while  a  dull,  heavy  report  came  booming  over  the 
water. 

The  battle  was  opened,  but  five  minutes  elapsed  before  a  second  shot 
was  fired.  When  it  did  come,  it  crashed  through  the  bulwarks  of  the 
"  Lawrence,"  and  sped  across  her  deck  doing  no  great  damage.  "  Steady, 
lads,  steady,"  cried  Perry,  from  his  post  on  the  quarter-deck,  as  he  saw 
an  uneasy  stir  among  his  men,  who  longed  to  return  the  fire.  The  com 
modore  was  determined  to  fight  at  close  quarters,  and  hung  out  signals 
for  each  ship  to  choose  its  antagonist,  and  fight  the  fight  out  for  itself. 

It  was  then  high  noon,  and  the  battle  soon  became  general.     The  little 
schooners  "  Scorpion "  and  "  Ariel  "  pluckily  kept  their  place  in  the  van 
of  the  American  line,  but  the   fire   of   the  enemy  fell  most  fiercely  upon 
the  flag-ship  "  Lawrence."     No  less  than  four  vessels  at  one   time  were 
grouped  about  the   "  Lawrence,"   pouring  in  a  destructive  fire,   and  bent 
upon  destoying  the  flag-ship  and  her  brave  commander;  then  taking  the 
smaller  vessels  in  detail.     The  "  Lawrence  "  fought  bravely,  but  the  odds 
were   too   great.      The   carronades   with   which    she   was   armed   were   no 
match  for  the  long  guns  of  her  adversaries.     For  two  hours  the   unequal 
combat   raged,  and   no  American  vessel   came   to   the   aid   of   the   sorely 
smitten    flag-ship.      Amid    the    hail    of    cannon-balls    and    bullets,    Perry 
seemed  to  bear*  a  charmed  life.     He  saw  his  officers  and  men  falling  all 
about  him.     John  Brooks,  the  lieutenant  of  marines,  fought  by  the  commo 
dore's  side.     While  speaking  cheerfully  to  the  commodore,  a  cannon-ball 
struck  the  young  lieutenant  on  the  hip,  dashing  him  across  the  deck  against 
the  bulwark,  and  mutilating  him  so,  that  he  plead  piteously  with  Perry,  im 
ploring  that  he  might  be  put  out  of  his  misery  with  a  pistol-shot.     From 
this  awful  spectacle  Perry  turned  to  speak  to  the  captain  of  a  gun,  when  the 
conversation  was  abruptly  cut   short  by  a   shot  which  killed  the  seaman  in 
stantly.     Perry    returned    to    the    quarter-deck.     The    first    lieutenant    came 
rushing  up,  his  face  bloody,  and  his  nose  swelled  to  an  enormous  size  from  a 
splinter  which  had  perforated  it.     "All  the  officers  in  my  division  are  killed," 
he  cried.     "For  God's  sake,  give  me  more!"     Perry  sent  some  men  to  his 


362 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


aid ;    but  they  soon  fell,  and  the  cry  for  more  men  arose  again.     One  of  the 
surgeons  who  served  in  the  cockpit  on  that  dreadful  day  states,  that,  in  the 

midst  of  the  roar  of  battle, 
Perry's  voice  was  heard  call 
ing  down  the  hatchway,  and 
asking  any  surgeon's  mates 
who  could  be  spared,  to 
come  on  deck  and  help  work 
the  guns.  Several  went  up ; 
but  the  appeal  was  soon  re 
peated,  and  more  responded. 
When  no  more  men  could 
be  obtained,  the  voice  of  the 
commodore  took  a  pleading 
tone.  "  Can  any  of  the 
wounded  pull  a  rope?"  said 
he ;  and  such  was  his  as 
cendency  over  the  men,  that 
several  poor  mangled  fel 
lows  dragged  themselves  on 
deck,  and  lent  their  feeble 
strength  to  the  working  of 
the  guns. 

Amid  all  the  carnage,  the 
sailors  were  quick  to  notice 
the  lighter  incidents  of  the 
fray.  Even  the  cock-pit, 
filled  with  the  wounded,  and 
reeking  with  blood  that 
dripped  through  the  cracks 
in  the  deck  above,  once  resounded  with  laughter  as  hearty  as  ever  greeted  a 
middy's  after-dinner  joke  in  the  steerage.  Lieut.  Yarnall  received  a  bad 
scalp-wound,  which  fairly  drenched  his  face  with  blood.  As  he  groped  his 
way  towards  the  cock-pit,  he  passed  a  lot  of  hammocks  stuffed  with  "  cat 
tails"  which  had  been  stowed  on  the  bulwarks.  The  feathery  down  of 
the  "cat-tails"  filled  the  air,  and  settled  thick  upon  the  head  and  face 


COMMODORE  PERRY  AT  THE   BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE. 


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BLUE-JACKETS    OF    1812.  363 

of  the  officer,  robbing  his  countenance  of  all  semblance  to  a  human  face. 
As  he  descended  the  ladder  to  the  cock-pit,  his  owl-like  air  roused  the 
wounded  to  great  shouts  of  laughter.  "The  Devil  has  come  among  usy" 
they  cried. 

While  talking  to  his  little  brother,  Perry  to  his  horrtfr  saw  the  lad 
fall  at  his  feet,  dashed  to  the  deck  by  an  unseen  missile.  The  com 
modore's  agony  may  be  imagined ;  but  it  was  soon  assuaged,  for  the  boy 
was  only  stunned,  and  was  soon  fighting  again  at  his  post.  The  second 
lieutenant  was  struck  by  a  spent  grape-shot,  and  fell  stunned  upon  the 
deck.  He  lay  there  for  a  time,  unnoticed.  Perry  raised  him  up,  telling 
him  he  was  not  hurt,  as  no  blood  could  be  seen.  The  lieutenant  put  his 
hand  to  his  clothing,  at  the  point  where  the  blow  had  fallen,  and  dis 
covered  the  shot  lodged  in  his  coat.  Coolly  putting  it  in  his  pocket,  he 
remarked,  "You  are  right:  I  am  not  hurt.  But  this  is  my  shot,"  and 
forthwith  returned  to  his  duty. 

It  was  a  strange-looking  body  of  men  that  fought  at  the  guns  of  the 
"  Lawrence."  Lean,  angular  Yankee  sailors  from  the  seafaring  commu 
nities  of  New  England  stood  by  the  side  of  swarthy  negroes,  who,  with 
their  half-naked  black  bodies,  in  the  dense  powder-smoke,  seemed  like 
fiends  in  pandemonium.  In  the  rigging  were  stationed  a  number  of  Ken 
tucky  riflemen,  who  had  volunteered  to  serve  during  the  battle.  The 
buckskin  shirts  and  leggings  gave  an  air  of  incongruity  to  their  presence 
on  a  man-of-war.  Their  unerring  rifles,  however,  did  brave  service  for 
the  cause  of  the  stars  and  stripes.  At  the  opening  of  the  action,  two 
tall  Indians,  decked  in  all  the  savage  finery  of  war-paint  and  feathers, 
strode  the  deck  proudly.  But  water  is  not  the  Indian's  element,  and  the 
battle  had  hardly  begun  when  one  fled  below  in  terror ;  the  other  remained 
on  deck,  and  was  killed  early  in  the  action. 

Courageous  and  self-confident  though  the  American  commander  was, 
the  moment  came  when  he  could  no  longer  disguise  the  fact  that  his 
gallant  flag-ship  was  doomed  to  destruction  before  the  continuous  and 
deadly  fire  of  her  adversaries.  There  was  but  one  course  of  action  open, 
and  upon  this  he  determined  at  once.  He  would  transfer  his  flag  to  the 
"Niagara,"  and  from  the  deck  of  that  vessel  direct  the  movements  of 

his  fleet.     Accordingly,  the  only  uninjured  boat  of   the  "Lawrence"  was 
13 


364 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


lowered ;  and  Perry  sprang  into  the  stern,  followed  by  his  little  brother. 
Before  the  boat  pushed  off,  the  battle-flag  was  thrown  into  her ;  and, 
wrapping  it  about  him,  Perry  took  a  standing  position  in  the  stern,  and 
ordered  the  oarsmen  to  give  way.  He  steered  straight  for  the  "  Niagara," 
through  the  very  centre  of  the  fight.  The  enemy  quicky  grasped  the 


MAKING  READY  TO   LEAVE  THE  "LAWRENCE." 

purpose  of  the  movement,  and  great  guns  and  muskets  were  trained  on 
the  little  boat.  Shot  of  all  sizes  splashed  in  the  water  about  the  boat, 
splintered  the  oars,  and  buried  themselves  in  the  gunwale.  The  crew 
begged  their  commander  to  sit  down,  and  make  himself  a  less  conspicu 
ous  target  for  the  fire  of  the  enemy ;  but  Perry  paid  but  little  attention 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  365 


to  their  entreaties.  Suddenly  the  men  rested  on  the  oars,  and  the  boat 
stopped.  Angrily  the  commodore  demanded  the  cause  of  the  stoppage, 
and  was  told  that  the  men  refused  to  row  unless  he  sat  down.  With  a 
smile  he  yielded,  and  soon  the  boat  was  alongside  the  "  Niagara."  Perry 
sprang  to  the  deck,  followed  by  his  boat's  crew  and  a  plucky  sailor  who 
had  swum  just  behind  the  boat  across  the  long  stretch  of  water.  Hardly 
a  glance  did  the  commodore  cast  at  the  ship  which  he  had  left,  but  bent 
all  his  faculties  to  taking  the  new  flag-ship  into  the  battle. 

The  "  Niagara "  was  practically  a  fresh  ship ;  for,  up  to  this  time,  she 
had  held  strangely  aloof  from  the  battle.  Now  all  was  to  be  changed. 
The  battle-flag  went  to  her  masthead  ;  and  she  plunged  into  the  thick  of 
the  fight,  striking  thunderous  blows  at  every  ship  she  encountered.  As 
she  passed  the  American  lines,  the  sailors  greeted  with  cheers  their 
gallant  commander.  The  crippled  "  Lawrence,"  an  almost  helpless  hulk, 
left  far  behind,  was  forced  to  strike  her  flag  ;  although  her  crew  protested 
loudly,  crying  out,  "  Sink  the  ship,  and  let  us  go  down  with  her."  But 
the  conquered  vessel  was  not  destined  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  her 
enemies.  Already  the  sight  of  their  commodore  on  a  fresh  vessel  stimu 
lated  the  American  tars ;  so  that  in  half  an  hour  the  British  line  was 
broken,  their  ships  cut  to  pieces,  and  the  "Detroit,"  their  flag-ship,  a  prize 
to  the  "  Niagara."  A  white  handkerchief  was  waved  at  the  end  of  a  pike 
by  one  of  the  crew  of  the  "  Princess  Charlotte."  The  firing  stopped,  the 
flag  was  again  run  up  to  the  masthead  of  the  "  Lawrence,"  while  a  few 
feeble  cheers  came  faintly  over  the  water  from  the  remnant  of  her  crew. 

The  dense  clouds  of  smoke  blowing  away,  Perry  saw,  by  the  disposi 
tion  of  his  squadron,  that  the  victory  was  secure.  Hastily  catching  off 
his  navy-cap,  he  laid  upon  it  a  sheet  of  paper  torn  from  an  old  letter, 
and  wrote  to  Gen.  Harrison  the  famous  despatch,  "  We  have  met  tJie  enemy, 
and  they  are  ours,  —  two  ships,  two  brigs,  one  schooner,  and  one  sloop." 

Then,  with  true  chivalry,  he  determined  that  to  his  flag-ship  "  Law 
rence,"  that  had  so  stoutly  borne  the  brunt  of  battle,  should  belong  the 
honor  of  receiving  the  British  captains,  when  they  came  to  surrender 
their  vessels.  He  returned  to  the  "  Lawrence ; "  but  the  scene  there 
was  such  that  even  the  excitement  of  victory  could  raise  no  feelings  of 
exultation  in  his  breast.  He  saw  on  every  side  the  bodies  of  officers 
with  whom,  but  the  night  before,  he  had  dined  in  perfect  health.  The 


366  BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 

decks  were  red  with  blood,  and  from  the  cock-pit  arose  the  groans  of  the 
wounded. 

After  the  formal  surrender,  to  make  which  the  officers  picked  their 
way  over  the  deck  covered  with  slain  to  the  quarter-deck,  the  work  of 
burying  the  dead  of  both  squadrons  was  begun.  It  was  about  sundown 
that  the  sad  ceremonies  were  held  ;  and,  as  the  deep  tones  of  the  chap 
lains  reading  the  burial-service  arose  upon  the  evening  air,  the  dull, 
mournful  splashing  of  heavy  bodies  in  the  water  told  that  the  last  scene 
in  the  great  victory  was  drawing  to  an  end. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


ON  THE  OCEAN. —THE  "HORNET"  SINKS  THE  "  PEACOCK."  —  THE  BLOCKADE.  —  ADVEN 
TURES  OF  THE  "SALLY."  — HOSTILITIES  ON  CHESAPEAKE  BAY. —THE  CRUISE  OF  THE 
"  PRESIDENT." 

HE  year  1813,  that  brought  to  American  sailors  upon  the  lakes 
such  well-earned  laurels,  opened  auspiciously  for  the  stars  and 
stripes  upon  the  ocean.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  "Con 
stitution,"  while  on  the  cruise  in  the  South  Atlantic  that  ended 
with  the  destruction  of  the  "Java,"  had  left  the  "Hornet"  off  San  Salvador, 
blockading  the  British  ship  "Bonne  Citoyenne."  For  eighteen  days  the 
"  Hornet  "  remained  at  her  post.  Her  captain  continually  urged  the  enemy 
to  come  out  and  give  him  battle,  but  to  no  avail.  The  remembrance  of 
his  valuable  cargo  deterred  the  Englishman,  and  he  remained  snug  in 
his  harbor.  Months  after,  when  the  occurrence  became  known  in  the 
United  States,  an  unreasoning  outcry  was  raised  against  the  commander 
of  the  "  Bonne  Citoyenne  "  for  thus  avoiding  the  conflict ;  but  naval  men 
have  always  agreed  that  his  action  was  wise  and  commendable. 

After  eighteen  days'  service  on  this  blockade,  the  "Hornet"  saw  a 
British  seventy-four  bearing  down  upon  her,  bent  upon  releasing  the 
treasure-ship.  Against  such  odds  it  would  have  been  folly  to  contend ; 

367 


368  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

and  the  Americans,  taking  advantage  of  a  dark  night,  slipped  away,  and 
were  soon  beyond  pursuit.  The  vessel  continued  her  cruise  in  the  waters 
south  of  the  equator,  meeting  with  good  fortune,  and  taking  many  valuable 
prizes,  from  one  of  which  twenty-three  thousand  dollars  in  specie  were 
taken.  But  her  cruise  was  not  destined  to  proceed  without  serious 
opposition. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  as  the  "  Hornet  "  was  giving  close  chase  to 
a  suspicious  brig  near  the  mouth  of  the  Demarara  River,  a  second  stranger 
was  sighted  in  the  offing.  Giving  no  heed  to  the  newly  sighted  vessel, 
the  "  Hornet "  continued  her  chase  until  the  rapidly  approaching  vessel 
was  clearly  made  out  to  be  a  brig,  flying  the  British  flag,  and  evidently 
a  man-of-war.  The  "  Hornet "  was  immediately  cleared  for  action ;  and 
the  two  hostile  vessels  began  manoeuvring  for  the  weather-gage,  as  two 
scientific  pugilists  spar  cautiously  for  an  opening.  In  this  contest  of  sea 
manship,  Capt.  Lawrence  of  the  "  Hornet  "  proved  the  victor ;  and  a  little 
after  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  two  enemies  stood  for  each  other 
upon  the  wind,  the  "  Hornet  "  having  the  weather-gage.  As  they  rapidly 
ucared  each  other,  no  sound  was  heard  save  the  creaking  of  the  cordage, 
and  the  dashing  of  the  waves  against  the  vessels'  hulls.  Not  a  shot  was 
fired  until  the  enemies  were  dashing  past  each  other,  going  in  opposite 
directions.  The  first  broadsides  were  exchanged  at  half  pistol-shot,  with 
very  unequal  effects.  The  shot  of  the  "  Hornet  "  penetrated  the  hull  of 
her  antagonist,  doing  terrible  execution  ;  while  the  broadside  let  fly  by 
the  "  Peacock "  whistled  through  the  rigging  of  the  American  ship,  cut 
ting  away  the  pennant,  and  killing  a  topman,  who  was  struck  by  a  round 
shot,  and  dashed  from  his  station  in  the  mizzen-top,  to  fall  mangled  and 
lifeless  into  the  sea. 

Hardly  were  the  ships  clear,  when  the  British  captain  put  his  helm 
hard  up,  —  a  manoeuvre  executed  with  the  intention  of  securing  a  raking 
position.  But  the  plan  was  balked  by  the  cool  seamanship  of  Capt. 
Lawrence,  who  quickly  followed  up  the  British  vessel,  and,  getting  a  posi 
tion  on  his  quarter,  poured  in  so  rapid  and  accurate  a  fire  that  the  enemy 
was  fain  to  haul  down  his  colors  and  confess  defeat.  The  British  ensign 
had  hardly  touched  the  deck,  when  it  was  run  up  again,  with  the  union 
down,  as  a  token  of  distress.  At  this  sight,  the  Yankee  tars,  who  had 
been  cheering  lustily  over  their  quickly  won  victory,  stopped  their  rejoi- 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  369 

cings,  and  set  about  giving  assistance  to  the  injured  Britons  with  as  hearty 
good-will  as  they  had  lately  shown  in  their  vigorous  cannonade. 

With  all  possible  despatch,  a  boat  was  lowered,  and  Lieut.  Shubrick 
proceeded  on  board  the  prize.  He  found  the  ''Peacock"  a  complete 
wreck.  Shortly  after  the  surrender  her  main-mast  had  gone  by  the  board, 
and  her  hull  was  fairly  honeycombed  with  shot-holes.  Returning  to  his 
ship,  Shubrick  reported  the  condition  of  the  prize.  He  was  immediately 
ordered  to  return  to  the  "  Peacock,"  and  make  every  effort  to  save  her. 
Accompanied  by  three  boats'  crews  of  American  sailors,  he  again  boarded 
the  sinking  ship,  and  bent  every  energy  to  the  attempt  for  her  salvation. 
Bulwarks  were  cut  away,  and  the  heavy  guns  were  rolled  out  of  the  gaps 
thus  made,  and  cast  into  the  sea.  Deep  down  in  the  hold,  and  swinging- 
like  spiders  over  the  sides  of  the  vessels,  sailors  tried  to  stop  up  with 
felt-covered  blocks  of  wood  the  great  holes  through  which  the  water  was 
pouring.  All  the  time  boats  were  plying  between  the  sinking  vessel  and 
the  "Hornet,"  transferring  the  wounded  and  the  prisoners.  Twilight  fell 
before  the  work  was  ended,  and  it  became  evident  to  all  that  the  "  Pea 
cock  "  must  sink  during  the  night.  But  the  end  came  even  quicker  than 
had  been  expected.  Some  new  rent  must  have  opened  in  the  brig's  side  ; 
for,  with  a  sudden  lurch,  she  commenced  to  sink  rapidly,  bow  foremost. 
Several  of  the  English  crew  were  below,  searching  for  liquor ;  and,  caught 
by  the  inpouring  flood,  they  found  a  watery  grave  in  the  sinking  hulk. 
Three  Americans  were  also  ingulfed  ;  and  five  narrowly  escaped  death  by 
climbing  up  the  rigging  to  the  foretop,  which  remained  above  water  when 
the  hull  rested  upon  the  bottom.  In  the  midst  of  the  excitement  and 
confusion,  four  British  seamen  slyly  clambered  out  of  the  cabin-windows, 
and,  dropping  into  a  boat  that  was  made  fast  to  the  stern,  made  off  in 
che  darkness.  The  Americans,  eagerly  watching  the  sinking  ship,  did 
not  detect  the  fugitives  until  the  boat  was  far  beyond  the  possibility  of 
recapture. 

The  vessel  so  quickly  destroyed  by  the  "  Hornet "  was  the  British 
man-of-war  brig  "  Peacock,"  mounting  ten  guns,  and  carrying  a  crew  of 
two  hundred  and  ten  men.  In  one  respect,  she  was  a  model  ship. 
Among  naval  men,  she  had  long  been  known  as  "  the  yacht,"  on  account 
of  the  appearance  of  exquisite  neatness  she  always  presented.  Her  decks 
were  as  white  as  lime-juice  and  constant  holystoning  could  keep  them, 


37°  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

The  brass-work  about  the  cabins  and  the  breeches  of  the  guns  was 
dazzling  in  its  brilliancy.  White  canvas  lined  the  breechings  of  the 
carronades.  Her  decks  everywhere  showed  signs  of  constant  toil  in 
the  cause  of  cleanliness.  The  result  of  the  battle,  however,  seemed  to 
indicate  that  Capt.  Peakes  had  erred,  in  that,  while  his  ship  was  perfect, 
his  men  were  bad  marksmen,  and  poorly  disciplined.  While  their  shot 
were  harmlessly  passing  through  the  rigging  of  the  "  Hornet,"  the 
Americans  were  pouring  in  well-directed  broadsides,  that  killed  and 
wounded  thirty-eight  men,  and  ended  the  action  in  fifteen  minutes.  The 
Americans  lost  but  one  man  in  the  fight,  though  three  more  went  down 
in  the  sinking  prize. 

Capt.  Lawrence  now  found  himself  far  from  home,  short  of  water,  anc> 
crowded  with  prisoners.  For  a  time,  he  feared  that  to  these  evils  was 
to  be  added  a  second  action,  while  his  crew  was  still  fatigued  with  the 
labors  of  the  first.  During  the  battle  with  the  "  Peacock,"  a  second 
British  man-of-war  brig,  the  "  Espiegle,"  lay  quietly  at  anchor  only  four 
miles  away.  Why  she  had  not  joined  in  the  strife,  has  never  been 
explained.  She  was  clearly  visible  from  the  tops  of  the  "  Hornet " 
throughout  the  action,  and  Lawrence  expected  every  moment  to  see  her 
bear  down  to  the  assistance  of  her  consort.  But  she  made  no  move 
ment  ;  and  even  after  the  fight  ended,  and  the  "  Peacock "  lay  on  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean,  the  mysterious  stranger  awoke  not  from  her  leth 
argy.  Not  wishing  to  engage  a  second  adversary  while  his  ship  was 
crowded  with  prisoners,  Lawrence  immediately  left  the  scene  of  action, 
and  laid  his  course  for  home.  The  homeward  voyage  was  rapid  and 
uneventful.  No  pains  were  spared  to  secure  the  comfort  of  the  prisoners 
who  crowded  the  ship.  The  British  officers  were  treated  with  the  great 
est  consideration  ;  so  that,  as  one  said  on  quitting  the  ship,  they  "  ceased 
to  consider  themselves  as  captives."  The  tars,  who  were  consigned  to 
the  care  of  the  blue-jackets  in  the  forecastle,  were  met  with  less  cour 
tesy,  but  certainly  with  no  less  good  feeling.  They  were  not  spared  an 
occasional  taunt  or  triumphant  joke ;  but  when  it  was  learned  that  by 
the  sinking  of  their  ship  the  Britons  had  lost  all  their  "toggery,"  the 
"  Hornet's  "  lads  turned  to,  and  soon  collected  clothing  enough  to  fit  out 
each  prisoner  with  a  respectable  kit. 

It  was  the   middle   of   March   before   the   long,  homeward  voyage  was 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  37 1 

ended,  and  the  anchor  was  dropped  in  the  snug  harbor  of  Holmes's 
Hole  in  the  island  of  Martha's  Vineyard.  The  usual  rejoicings  followed 
the  news  of  the  victory.  Lawrence  was  the  hero  of  the  hour ;  and  songs 
innumerable  appeared  in  the  newspapers,  extolling  the  courage  and  devo 
tion  of  the  brave  lads  of  the  "  Hornet." 

Indeed,  the  arrival  of  the  "  Hornet  "  with  her  glorious  news  came  at 
an  opportune  moment,  to  cheer  the  spirits  of  the  American  people.  The 
war  had  begun  to  assume  a  serious  aspect.  Continued  reverses  on 
the  ocean  had  roused  the  British  ministry  to  the  fact  that  they  were 
dealing  with  no  contemptible  enemy,  and  the  word  had  gone  forth  that 
the  Americans  must  be  crushed  into  submission.  Troops  were  hurriedly 
sent  to  Canada,  and  all  the  vessels  that  could  be  spared  were  ordered  to 
the  coast  of  the  United  States.  The  English  had  determined  upon  that 
most  effective  of  all  hostile  measures,  —  a  rigorous  blockade  of  their 
enemy's  coast.  Up  and  down  the  coast  from  New  Jersey  to  the  Caro- 
linas,  British  frigates  and  sloops  kept  up  a  constant  patrol.  Chesapeake 
Bay  was  their  chief  rendezvous  ;  and  the  exploits  of  the  blockading  squad 
ron  stationed  there,  under  Admiral  Cockburn,  led  often  to  scenes  more 
befitting  savage  warfare  then  the  hostilities  of  two  enlightened  and 
civilized  peoples.  On  the  New  England  coast,  the  blockade  was  less 
severely  enforced.  The  people  of  that  section  had  been  loud  in  their 
denunciations  of  the  war;  and  the  British  hoped,  by  a  display  of  modera 
tion,  to  seduce  the  New  Englanders  from  their  allegiance  to  the  United 
States, — a  hope  that  failed  utterly  of  fulfilment.  Even  had  the  British 
desired  to  enforce  the  blockade  along  the  New  England  shore,  the  char 
acter  of  the  coast,  and  the  skill  and  shrewdness  of  the  Yankee  skippers, 
would  have  made  the  task  of  the  blockaders  a  most  difficult  one. 

The  annals  of  the  little  seafaring  villages  along  the  coast  of  Maine  and 
Massachusetts  abound  in  anecdotes  of  hardy  skippers  who  outwitted  the 
watchful  British,  and  ran  their  little  schooners  or  sloops  into  port  under 
the  very  guns  of  a  blockading  man-of-war. 

Among  the  blockade-runners  of  the  New  England  coast,  Capt.  Dan 
Fernald  of  Portsmouth  stood  foremost.  When  a  shipload  of  Maine  timber 
was  needed  at  the  Portsmouth  navy-yard,  to  be  converted  into  a  new 
man-of-war,  to  Capt.  Fernald  was  assigned  the  task  of  bringing  it  clowr 
from  Portland  past  the  British  frigates,  that  were  ever  on  the  watch  for 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


just  such  cargoes.  When  the  preparations  for  the  building  of  the  seven ty- 
four-gun  ship  "  Washington  "  were  making  at  the  navy-yard,  Capt.  Fernald 
was  sent  to  Portsmouth  for  a  load  of  ship's-timber.  His  cargo  was  to 
consist  of  forty-eight  "knees"  and  the  breast-hook  of  the  seventy-four. 
Loaded  down  with  this  burden,  the  schooner  "Sally"  left  Portland,  and 
headed  for  her  destination.  Caution  led  her  captain  to  keep  his  craft 
close  to  the  shore,  and  for  a  day  or  two  she  crept  along  the  coast  with 
out  being  discovered.  But  head-winds  and  calms  delayed  the  "  Sally," 
and  on  her  fourth  day  out  she  was  sighted  by  the  British  frigate  "  Tene- 
dos."  The  "Sally"  was  not  an  imposing  craft,  and  under  ordinary  cir 
cumstances  she  might  have  been  allowed  to  proceed  unmolested  ;  but  on 
this  occasion  a  number  of  the  oaken  knees  for  the  new  war-vessel  were 
piled  on  the  deck,  and  the  British  captain  could  clearly  make  out,  through 
his  glasses,  that  the  "  Sally  "  was  laden  with  contraband  of  war.  Accord 
ingly,  he  set  out  in  hot  pursuit,  in  the  full  expectation  of  overhauling  the 
audacious  coaster.  Capt.  Fernald,  however,  had  no  idea  of  letting  his 
schooner  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  He  was  a  wily  old  skipper, 
and  knew  every  nook  and  corner  of  the  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  coasts 
better  than  he  knew  the  streets  of  his  native  village.  Apparently  unmoved 
by  the  pursuit  of  the  man-of-war,  he  stood  at  the  tiller,  and,  beyond  order 
ing  his  crew  to  shake  out  the  reefs  in  the  sails,  seemed  to  make  no  great 
attempt  to  elude  the  enemy.  But  soon  the  crew  noticed  that  the  skipper 
was  taking  his  schooner  rather  dangerously  close  to  the  shore;  and  a  cry 
came  from  a  sailor  on  the  bow,  that  the  "Sally"  was  ploughing  through 
the  kelp,  and  would  soon  be  on  the  rocks. 

"No  matter,"  sung  out  the  captain;  "just  heave  over  a  few  of  them 
knees,  and  I  guess  she'll  float  clear." 

Overboard  went  a  dozen  heavy  timbers,  and  the  "  Sally  "  sailed  smoothly 
on  over  the  rocks.  Then  the  captain  glanced  back  over  his  shoulder, 
and  chuckled  slyly  as  the  majestic  frigate,  following  closely  in  his  track, 
brought  up  all  of  a  sudden  on  the  rocks,  and  was  quickly  left  a  fixture 
by  the  receding  tide.  The  exasperated  Englishman  sent  two  eighteen- 
pound  shot  skipping  over  the  water  after  the  "Sally,"  but  without  effect. 
One  shot  buried  itself  in  the  sand  of  the  beach ;  and  Capt.  Fernald,  after 
picking  up  the  knees  that  had  been  thrown  overboard,  coolly  went  ashore, 
dug  up  the  ball,  and  carried  it  away  as  a  trophy.  He  reached  his  moor 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  373 

ings  at  the  navy-yard  safely,  and  was  warmly  greeted  by  Commodore 
Hull,  who  asked  if  the  "  Sally "  had  been  fired  upon  ;  and,  on  being 
presented  with  the  eighteen-pound  shot  for  a  token,  exclaimed,  "  You  are 
a  good  fellow,  and  stand  fire  well." 

The  '  Tenedos "  came  not  so  luckily  out  of  the  adventure.  By  tht 
time  a  flood  tide  lifted  her  clear  of  the  reef,  the  jagged  points  of  the 
rocks  had  pierced  her  hull,  so  that  she  leaked  badly,  and  was  forced  to 
go  to  Halifax  for  repairs. 

One  more  adventure  in  which  the  "  Sally "  and  her  wily  captain 
figured  is  worth  recounting.  Again  the  dingy  schooner  was  edging  her 
way  along  the  rugged  shore,  bound  for  the  Portsmouth  navy-yard.  No 
vessel  could  have  seemed  more  harmless.  Her  patched  and  dirty  canvas 
was  held  in  place  by  oft-spliced  ropes  and  rigging  none  too  taut.  Her 
bluff  bows  butted  away  the  waves  in  clouds  of  spray,  that  dashed  over  the 
decks,  which  seldom  received  other  washing.  Her  cargo  seemed  to  be 
cordwood,  neatly  split,  and  piled  high  on  deck.  While  off  Casco,  the 
wind  dropped  down,  and  the  "Sally"  was  left  floating  idly  upon  the  glassy 
ocean.  Far  in  the  distance  lay  an  English  man-o'-war,  also  becalmed  ; 
but  from  which  a  long-boat,  stoutly  manned,  soon  put  out,  and  made  for 
the  becalmed  schooner.  The  boat  was  soon  within  hail,  and  a  trim  young 
officer  in  the  stern-sheets  sung  out, — 

"What  craft's  that?" 

"  Schooner  *  Sally '  of  Portsmouth/'  came  the  answer,  in  the  drawling 
tones  of  a  down-east  skipper. 

"  Where  from  ? " 

"  Portland." 

"Where  bound  ?s' 

"Portsmouth." 

"What's  your  cargo/1 

"Firewood,"  responded  Capt.  Fernald  with  a  carelessness  he  was 
far  from  feeling;  for  deep  down  in  the  hold,  under  the  cord-wood,  were 
two  twenty-four-pounder  cannon,  thirteen  thousand  pounds  of  powder, 
and  about  one  hundred  boarding  pikes  and  cutlasses. 

The  British  officer  hesitated  a  moment,  as  if  the  little  coaster  was  of 
too  little  importance  for  further  examination. 

"Well,  I  think  I'll  come  aboard,"  said  he  carelessly,  and  soon  stood 
with  three  or  four  of  his  men  on  the  deck  of  the  "Sally." 


374  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

After  glancing  contemptuously  about  the  ill-kept  decks,  he  turned  to 
his  men  with  the  sharp  order:  "Clear  away  some  of  that  wood  from 
the  hatchways,  and  see  what's  in  the  hold." 

The  men  set  to  work,  passing  the  cord-wood  away  from  the  hatch 
tvays,  and  piling  it  upon  the  after-deck.  Soon  they  had  worked  their 
way  into  the  hold,  and  were  going  deeper  and  deeper  down  toward  the 
munitions  of  war.  Capt.  Fernald's  blood  seemed  to  stop  coursing  in  his 
veins.  He  knew  that  but  one  layer  of  cord-wood  then  lay  above  the 
cannon,  and  he  expected  every  instant  to  see  the  black  iron  uncovered. 
But  the  British  officer  grew  impatient. 

"That's  enough  of  that  work,"  said  he;  "there's  nothing  but  wood 
there.  Captain,  you  can  proceed  on  your  course." 

A  momentary  murmur  arose  from  the  English  sailors.  The  "  Sally " 
was  theirs  by  right  of  capture,  and  they  saw  no  reason  for  her  libera 
tion.  "Why,  lads,"  said  the  officer,  "it  would  cost  just  as  much  to 
get  this  poor  fellow's  wood-schooner  condemned  as  it  would  a  large 
ship.  As  for  the  prize-money,  it  would  not  make  a  penny  apiece."  So, 
tumbling  into  their  boat,  the  jackies  pulled  away;  shouting  to  the  captain 
of  the  "  Sally "  to  stow  his  cargo  again,  or  his  old  tub  would  capsize. 
Capt.  Fernald  took  their  jeers  good-naturedly,  for  he  was  the  victor  in 
that  encounter. 

The  occurrence  had  been  observed  from  the  shore  ;  and,  when  the 
British  sailors  were  seen  swarming  over  the  side  of  the  "  Sally,"  a  horse 
man  set  off  for  Portsmouth  to  notify  Commodore  Hull  that  the  schooner 
was  captured.  It  was  a  sore  blow  ;  for  the  guns  and  powder  were 
thought  to  be  lost,  and  munitions  of  war  were  hard  to  be  had  at  that 
time.  But  Hull  soon  threw  aside  the  disappointment,  and  was  busily 
engaged  with  plans  for  the  vessels  then  building,  when  a  sentry  came  in, 
and  reported  the  "Sally"  in  sight.  Hull  rushed  to  the  water-side.  Sure 
enough,  there  came  the  battered  old  schooner,  butting  her  way  through 
the  waves  of  the  channel ;  and,  before  long,  the  two  cannon  were  safe 
in  the  storehouses,  while  Capt.  Fernald  found  himself  vested  with  a 
reputation  for  almost  superhuman  sagacity  and  luck. 

Not  all  the  encounters  between  the  blockaders  and  the  blockade- 
runners  terminated  so  happily  for  the  Americans.  Many  a  coasting- 
vessel  was  sent  to  Halifax  to  swell  the  coffers  of  the  British  prize-courts, 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  375 


or,  after  being  set  on  fire,  was  left  to  lie  charred  and  ruined  upon  the 
rocky  shore,  as  a  warning  to  all  who  violated  the  blockade. 

The  capture  of  one  United  States  war-vessel  graced  the  English 
naval  annals  of  January,  1813;  for  the  little  brig  "Viper,"  carrying 
twelve  guns,  fell  in  the  way  of  the  British,  thirty-two,  "Narcissus,"  and 
straightway  surrendered  to  the  overwhelming  force  of  her  enemy. 

Among  the  United  States  war-vessels  caught  and  held  in  port  by  the 
blockade  was  the  frigate  "Constellation."  She  was  at  the  opening  of 
the  war  the  favorite  ship  of  the  American  navy ;  her  exploits  in  the  war 
with  France  having  endeared  her  to  the  American  people,  and  won  for 
her  among  Frenchmen  the  name  of  "the  Yankee  race-horse."  Notwith 
standing  her  reputation  for  speed,  she  is  said  to  have  been  very  crank, 
and  had  an  awkward  way  of  getting  on  her  beam-ends  without  much 
provocation.  An  almost  incredible  tale  is  told  of  her  getting  "knocked 
down  "  by  a  squall  while  chasing  a  French  privateer,  and,  notwithstand 
ing  the  delay,  finally  overhauling  and  capturing  the  chase. 

When  war  was  declared  with  England,  the  "  Constellation "  was  so 
thoroughly  dismantled,  that  some  months  were  occupied  in  refitting  before 
she  was  ready  to  put  to  sea.  In  January,  1813,  she  dropped  anchor  in 
Hampton  Roads,  expecting  to  set  out  on  an  extended  cruise  the  next 
morning.  Had  she  been  a  day  earlier,  her  career  in  the  War  of  1812 
might  have  added  new  lustre  to  her  glorious  record  in  the  war  with 
France ;  but  the  lack  of  that  day  condemned  her  to  inglorious  inactivity 
throughout  the  war :  for  on  that  very  night  a  British  squadron  of  line- 
of-battle  ships  and  frigates  dropped  anchor  a  few  miles  down  the  bay, 
and  the  "  Constellation  "  was  fairly  trapped. 

When,  by  the  gray  light  of  early  morning,  the  lookout  on  the  "Con 
stellation  "  saw  the  British  fleet  lying  quietly  at  their  anchorage  down 
the  bay,  he  reported  to  Capt.  Stewart  ;  and  the  latter  saw  that,  for  a 
time,  he  must  be  content  to  remain  in  port.  Stewart's  reputation  for 
bravery  and  devotion  to  his  country  leaves  no  doubt  that  the  prospect 
of  prolonged  idleness  was  most  distasteful  to  him.  But  he  had  little  time 
to  mourn  over  his  disappointment.  The  position  of  the  frigate  was  one 
of  great  danger.  At  any  moment  she  might  be  exposed  to  attack  by  the 
hostile  fleet.  Accordingly,  she  dropped  down  abreast  of  Craney  Island, 
where  she  was  secure  from  attack  by  the  British  vessels,  but  still  open 

to  the  assaults  of  their  boats. 
16 


376  BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 


To  meet  this  danger,  Capt.  Stewart  took  the  most  elaborate  precau 
tions.  His  ship  was  anchored  in  the  middle  of  the  narrow  channel ;  and 
on  either  side  were  anchored  seven  gunboats,  officered  and  manned  by 
the  men  of  the  frigate.  Around  the  gunboats  and  frigate  extended  a 
vast  circle  of  floating  logs,  linked  together  by  heavy  chains,  that  no 
boarders  might  come  alongside  the  vessels.  The  great  frigate  towered 
high  above  the  surrounding  gunboats,  her  black  sides  unbroken  by  an 
open  port;  for  the  gun-deck  ports  were  lashed  down,  and  the  guns  housed. 
Not  a  rope's  end  was  permitted  to  hang  over  the  side ;  the  stern  ladders 
were  removed,  and  the  gangway  cleats  knocked  off.  An  enemy  might  as 
well  hope  to  scale  the  unbroken  front  of  a  massive  wall  of  masonry, 
as  that  dark,  forbidding  hull.  From  the  bulwarks  rose  on  all  sides,  to 
the  ends  of  the  yards,  a  huge  net  made  of  ratlin  stuff,  boiled  in  pitch 
until  it  would  turn  the  edge  of  a  cutlass,  and  further  strengthened  by 
nail-rods  and  small  chains.  The  upper  part  of  the  netting  was  weighted 
with  kentledge,  the  pigs  of  iron  used  for  ballast  ;  so  that,  should  the  hardy 
assailants  succeed  in  coming  alongside  and  scaling  the  side,  a  few  blows 
of  an  axe  would  let  fall  the  heavily  weighted  nettings,  sweeping  the 
boarders  into  the  sea,  and  covering  boats  and  men  with  an  impenetrable 
mesh,  under  which  they  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  sailors  on  the 
frigate's  decks.  The  carronades  and  howitzers  were  loaded  with  grape ; 
and  the  officers  and  men  felt  that  only  bravery  on  their  part  was  essential 
to  the  defeat  of  any  force  that  Great  Britain  could  send  against  the  ship. 

Heedless  of  these  formidable  preparations  for  their  reception,  -the 
enemy  set  under  way  two  expeditions  for  the  capture  of  the  "Constella 
tion."  In  neither  case  did  the  antagonists  actually  come  to  blows,  for 
the  approach  of  the  British  was  discovered  before  they  came  within 
pistol-shot ;  and,  as  their  only  chance  lay  in  surprising  the  Americans, 
they  retired  without  striking  a  blow.  The  coming  of  the  nVst  expedi 
tion  was  known  upon  the  "  Constellation "  the  day  before  it  actually  set 
out.  A  Portuguese  merchantman,  trying  to  beat  out  of  the  bay,  had 
been  stopped  by  the  British,  and  anchored  a  few  miles  below  the  Ameri 
can  frigate.  A  guard  and  lookout  from  the  English  fleet  were  stationed 
on  the  Portuguese  to  watch  the  "Constellation."  In  an  unguarded 
moment,  these  men  let  fall  a  hint  of  the  movement  under  way ;  and  an 
American  passenger  on  the  Portuguese  vessel  quickly  carried  the  news 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  377 


to  Capt.  Stewart,  and  volunteered  to  remain  and  aid  in  the  defence. 
The  next  night  was  dark  and  drizzly  ;  and  the  British,  to  the  number  of 
two  thousand,  set  out  in  boats  for  the  "  Constellation."  Hardly  were 
they  within  gun-shot,  when  two  lanterns  gleamed  from  the  side  of  a 
watchful  guard-boat ;  and  the  roll  of  drums  and  sound  of  hurrying  feet 
aboard  the  frigate  told  that  the  alarm  was  given.  The  assailants  there 
upon  abandoned  the  adventure,  and  returned  to  their  ship.  The  next 
night  they  returned,  but  again  retreated  discomfited.  Several  nights  later, 
a  third  expedition  came  up.  This  time  the  guard-boat  was  far  down  the 
bay ;  and,  seeing  the  huge  procession  of  boats,  the  Americans  calmly 
edged  in  among  them,  and  for  some  time  rowed  along,  listening  to  the 
conversation  of  the  British,  who  never  dreamed  that  an  enemy  could  be 
in  their  midst.  Suddenly  a  sailor,  more  sharp-eyed  than  the  rest,  caught 
sight  of  the  interlopers;  and  the  cry  was  raised,  "A  stranger!"  The 
Americans  tugged  at  their  oars,  and  were  soon  lost  to  sight ;  but,  not 
being  pursued,  returned,  and  accompanied  their  foes  up  the  bay,  and  even 
anchored  with  the  flotilla  at  a  point  above  the  "Constellation."  The 
enemy,  finding  the  Americans  constantly  on  the  ;vatch,  abandoned  their 
designs  on  the  ship,  and  vowed  that  Capt.  Stewart  must  be  a  Scotch 
man,  as  he  could  never  be  caught  napping.  Some  days  later,  an  officer, 
sent  with  a  flag  of  truce  to  the  British  fleet,  vastly  chagrined  the  officers 
there  by  repeating  their  remarks  overheard  by  the  guard-boat  officers  who 
joined  the  British  flotilla  in  the  dark.  These  three  escapes  confirmed 
the  reputation  borne  by  the  "Constellation,"  as  a  "lucky  ship;"  and 
although  she  remained  pent  up  in  port  throughout  the  war,  doing  noth 
ing  for  her  country,  her  luck  was  unquestioned  in  the  minds  of  the 
sailors.  With  her  they  classed  the  "Constitution"  and  "Enterprise," 
while  the  "  Chesapeake "  and  "  President "  were  branded  as  unlucky. 
Certainly  the  career  of  these  ships  in  the  War  of  1812  went  far  to  con 
firm  the  superstitious  belief  of  the  sailors. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  two  months,  Chesapeake  Bay  was  the  scene 
of  two  gallant  adventures,  in  which  American  privateersmen  were  opposed 
to  the  British  sailors.  On  Feb.  8,  the  privateer  schooner  "  Lottery " 
was  standing  down  the  bay  under  easy  sail,  out-bound  on  a  voyage  to 
Bombay.  The  schooner  was  one  of  the  clipper-built  craft,  for  which 
Baltimore  ship-builders  were  famous  the  world  over.  Her  battery  con- 


378  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


sisted  of  six  twelve-pounder  carronades,  and  her  crew  numbered  twenty- 
five  men.  Near  the  point  at  which  the  noble  bay  opens  into  the  Atlantic 
ocean,  a  narrow  sheet  of  water  extends  into  the  Virginia  shore,  winding 
in  sinuous  courses  several  miles  inland.  This  is  known  as  Lynnhaven 
Bay ;  and  on  its  placid  surface  there  lay,  on  the  morning  of  the 
"  Lottery's "  appearance,  four  powerful  frigates  flying  the  British  flag. 
From  their  tops  the  approaching  schooner  could  be  seen  across  the  low- 
lying  neck  of  land  that  separated  the  smaller  bay  from  the  main  body 
of  water.  The  cry  of  "  Sail,  ho  ! "  roused  the  fleet  to  sudden  activity ; 
and  an  expedition  of  two  hundred  men  was  quickly  organized  to  proceed 
against  the  privateer.  Fortune  seemed  to  favor  the  British  ;  for  hardly 
had  the  boats  left  the  fleet,  when  the  fresh  breeze  died  away,  and  the 
schooner  was  left  at  the  mercy  of  the  boats,  which,  propelled  by  the  long, 
swinging  strokes  of  man-o'-war  oarsmen,  bore  clown  rapidly  upon  her. 
Capt.  Southcomb  of  the  "  Lottery "  was  an  American  sailor,  who  had 
smelt  powder  before ;  and  he  had  no  idea  of  yielding  up  his  ship  without 
a  struggle.  The  formidable  force  sent  against  him  merely  moved  him  to 
more  desperate  resistance.  When  the  boats  came  within  range,  the  guns 
of  the  "Lottery"  opened  upon  them  with  a  hail  of  grape  and  round 
shot.  Still  the  assailants  pressed  on,  and  soon  came  beneath  the 
schooner's  lee.  Dropping  their  oars,  the  plucky  British  tars  sprang  into 
the  chains,  swarmed  up  the  bobstay  and  over  the  bow,  and  used  each 
other's  backs  as  ladders  to  aid  them  to  reach  the  schooner's  deck.  The 
little  crew  of  privateersmen  fought  viciously,  guarding  the  side  with  cut 
lasses  and  pistols,  hurling  the  boarders  back  into  the  sea,  or  cutting  them 
down  as  they  reached  the  deck.  Cold  shot  and  kentledge  were  dashed 
upon  the  boats,  in  the  hopes  of  sinking  them ;  while  the  carronades 
poured  a  destructive  fire  upon  such  boats  as  could  be  reached  by  their 
shot.  But  the  conflict  was  too  unequal  to  last  long.  The  English  sailors 
swarmed  over  the  gunwale  on  all  sides,  and,  cheering  lustily,  drove  the 
small  remnant  of  defenders  below.  Capt.  Southcomb  was  cut  clown,  and 
lay  mortally  wounded  upon  the  deck  when  the  enemy  took  possession  of 
the  ship.  When  the  victors  came  to  look  about  the  captured  vessel,  they 
found  such  proofs  of  a  desperate  resistance,  that  their  admiration  was 
open  and  pronounced.  Five  only  of  the  schooner's  crew  were  unhurt, 
while  the  British  paid  for  their  success  with  the  loss  of  thirteen  men. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


379 


Capt.  Southcomb,  in  a  dying  condition,  was  taken  aboard  the  frigate 
"  Belvidera,"  where  he  received  the  tenderest  treatment,  and  was  shown 
marked  respect  on  account  of  his  bravery. 

In    the   next    encounter  between    the    blockaders    and  a   privateer,  the 


AWAITING   THE   BOARDERS. 

British  bore  away  the  palm  for  gallantry.  This  time  the  privateersmen 
had  every  advantage,  while  the  British  carried  the  day  by  pure  courage. 
The  captured  vessels  were  the  privateer  schooner  "Dolphin,"  of  twelve 
guns,  and  the  letters-of-marque  "  Racer,"  "  Arab,"  and  "  Lynx,"  of  six 
guns  each.  The  crews  of  the  four  vessels  aggregated  one  hundred  and 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


sixty  men.  Against  this  force  came  five  boats  manned  by  one  hundred 
and  five  British  sailors,  who  pulled  fifteen  miles  in  order  to  attack  their 
foes.  Wearied  though  they  were  by  the  long  pull,  the  sight  of  the 
privateers  seemed  to  arouse  new  strength  in  the  plucky  tars ;  and,  with 
out  a  thought  of  the  odds  against  them,  they  dashed  forward,  cheering, 
and  calling  upon  the  Americans  to  surrender.  Had  the  four  schooners 
been  manned  by  such  brave  men  as  those  who  defended  the  "  Lottery," 
the  assailants  might  have  been  beaten  off.  As  it  was,  two  vessels  sur 
rendered  without  firing  a  shot.  The  crew  of  the  "  Racer  "  fought  pluckily 
for  a  time,  but  were  soon  overpowered,  and  the  vessel's  guns  turned 
upon  the  "Dolphin."  When  fire  was  opened  upon  this  last  vessel,  her 
crew,  affrighted,  leaped  overboard  from  every  side ;  and  the  "  Dolphin " 
was  soon  in  the  hands  of  her  enemies,  who  had  lost  but  thirteen  men  in 
the  whole  action. 

Many  a  gallant  adventure,  such  as  this,  is  to  be  laid  to  the  credit  of 
the  British  tars  on  the  American  station  during  the  continuance  of  the 
blockade.  Right  dashing  fellows  were  they,  at  cutting  out  a  coasting- 
schooner  as  she  lay  under  the  guns  of  some  American  earthworks.  The 
lads  that  have  won  for  England  her  supremacy  upon  the  seas  have 
never  been  behindhand  at  swarming  up  the  sides  of  an  enemy,  leaping  his 
taffrail,  and  meeting  him  on  his  own  deck  with  the  cold  steel.  And  as 
the  year  rolled  on,  and  the  blockade  along  the  American  coast  was  made 
more  strict,  the  meetings  between  the  enemies  became  more  frequent. 
From  every  seaport  town,  Yankee  privateers  were  waiting  to  escape  to 
sea ;  and  they  seldom  won  clear  without  a  brush  with  the  watchful 
enemy.  The  British,  too,  had  begun  to  fit  out  privateers,  though  Ameri 
can  commerce  offered  but  little  enticement  for  these  mercenary  gentry. 
Between  the  ships  of  the  two  private  armed  navies,  encounters  were 
common  ;  and  the  battles  were  often  fought  with  courage  and  seamanship 
worthy  of  the  regular  navy. 

Little  glory  was  won  by  the  navy  of  the  United  States  during  the 
opening  months  of  the  year.  Many  ships  were  laid  up  in  port;  while 
some,  like  the  "Constellation,"  were  blockaded  by  the  enemy.  The 
"President"  and  the  "Congress"  managed  to  get  to  sea  from  Boston  in 
April,  and  entered  upon  a  protracted  cruise,  in  which  the  bad  luck  of 
the  former  ship  seemed  to  pursue  her  with  malevolent  persistence.  The 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  381 


two  ships  parted  after  cruising  in  company  for  a  month,  and  scoured 
the  ocean  until  the  following  December,  when  they  returned  home, 
experiencing  little  but  continual  disappointments.  The  "  Congress  "  could 
report  only  the  capture  of  four  British  merchantmen,  as  the  result  ot 
her  eight  months'  cruise;  while  the  long  service  had  so  seriously  injured 
her  hull,  that  she  was  condemned  as  unseaworthy,  and  ended  her  career, 
a  dismantled  hulk  reduced  to  the  ignoble  service  of  store-ship  at  a 
navy-yard. 

The  "  President  "  was  little  more  fortunate  in  her  search  for  prizes. 
After  parting  with  her  consort,  she  beat  about  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Gulf  Stream,  in  the  hopes  of  getting  a  ship  or  two  returning  from 
the  West  Indies.  But  day  after  day  passed,  and  no  ship  appeared. 
Changing  his  plan,  Commodore  Rodgers  made  for  the  North  Sea,  feeling 
sure  that  there  he  would  find  in  plenty  the  marine  game  for  which  he 
was  seeking.  But,  to  his  astonishment,  not  an  English  ship  was  to  be 
found.  It  was  then  the  middle  of  summer,  and  the  frigate  had  been  at 
sea  for  nearly  three  months.  The  jackies  on  the  forecastle  were  weary 
of  the  long  voyage,  and  fairly  at  the  end  of  their  occupations  for 
"teasing  time."  The  officers,  well  knowing  the  effect  of  long  idleness 
upon  the  sailors,  were  tireless  in  devising  means  of  employment.  The 
rigging  was  set  up  weekly,  so  that  the  shrouds  and  stays  were  like  lines 
drawn  with  a  ruler.  Enough  rope-yarn  was  pulled,  and  spun-yarn  spun, 
to  supply  a  navy-yard  for  months.  Laggards  were  set  to  scrubbing  the 
rust  off  the  chain  cables,  and  sharpening  with  files  the  flukes  of  the 
anchors.  When  such  work  failed,  the  men  were  drilled  in  the  use  of 
cutlasses  and  single  sticks ;  forming  long  lines  down  the  gun-deck,  and 
slashing  away  with  right  good  will  at  the  word  of  the  instructor.  But 
the  monotony  of  a  long  cruise  without  a  prize  cannot  long  be  beguiled 
by  such  makeshifts;  and  it  was  with  the  heartiest  pleasure  that  the 
sailors  heard  that  the  commodore  had  determined  to  put  into  port  for  a 
time,  and  take  on  board  stores. 

It  was  North  Bergen,  Norway,  that  Rodgers  chose  for  this  purpose; 
and  an  unfortunate  choice  it  proved  to  be,  for  a  famine  prevailed  in 
the  country,  and  only  water  could  be  obtained  for  the  ship.  Leaving  the 
inhospitable  port,  the  "  President "  was  soon  again  upon  the  ocean.  She 
quickly  took  two  British  merchantmen,  from  which  she  replenished  her 


382  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


stores.  Shortly  after,  two  hostile  frigates  hove  in  sight,  and  the  "  Presi 
dent  "  fled  for  her  life  before  them  for  more  than  eighty  hours.  At  that 
season,  in  those  high  latitudes,  no  friendly  darkness  settled  over  the 
ocean  to  give  the  fugitive  a  chance  to  escape.  Bright  daylight  persisted 
throughout  the  chase,  and  the  sun  never  dipped  below  the  horizon. 
Sheer  good  sailing  saved  the  American  frigate,  and  enabled  her  to  leave 
her  pursuers  far  in  her  wake. 

For  some  days  thereafter,  better  luck  seemed  to  attend  the  frigate 
that  so  pluckily  kept  up  her  operations  in  seas  thousands  of  miles  from  a 
friendly  port.  With  true  Yankee  audacity,  she  extended  her  cruise  even 
into  the  Irish  Channel,  and  there  preyed  upon  British  commerce  until 
the  enemy  was  moved  to  send  a  squadron  to  rout  out  the  audacious 
intruder.  Then  Rodgers  set  sail  for  home. 

On  the  voyage  to  the  United  States,  the  "  President "  captured  a 
British  armed  schooner  by  a  stratagem  which  taught  at  least  one  British 
officer  to  respect  "  Yankee  cuteness." 

It  was  near  the  last  of  September  that  the  frigate  was  flying  along 
before  a  fresh  breeze.  Her  yards  were  spread  with  a  cloud  of  snowy 
canvas,  and  the  wind  sung  through  the  straining  cordage  a  melody  sweet 
to  the  ears  of  the  sailor  homeward  bound.  Towards  evening,  a  small 
sail  was  made  out  in  the  distance ;  and,  as  time  wore  on,  it  was  seen 
that  she  was  rapidly  approaching  the  "President."  Rodgers  surmised 
that  the  stranger  might  be  a  British  vessel,  and  determined  to  lure  her 
within  range  by  strategy.  In  some  way  he  had  obtained  knowledge  of 
some  of  the  private  signals  of  the  British  navy ;  and  in  a  few  minutes 
from  the  masthead  of  the  American  frigate,  there  fluttered  a  row  of  flags 
which  announced  her  as  the  British  frigate  "  Sea-Horse. "  The  stranger 
promptly  responded,  and  was  made  out  to  be  the  schooner  "  Highflyer," 
a  little  craft  noted  for  her  sailing  qualities.  Unsuspectingly  the  "  High 
flyer"  came  under  the  stern  of  the  American  frigate,  and  waited  for  a 
boat  to  be  sent  aboard.  Soon  the  boat  came  •  and  one  of  Rodgers's  lieu 
tenants,  clad  in  British  uniform,  clambered  up  the  side,  and  was  received 
with  due  honor.  He  was  the  bearer  of  a  message  from  Commodore 
Rodgers,  requesting  that  the  signal-books  of  the  "Highflyer"  be  sent  or. 
board  the  fictitious  "Sea-Horse"  for  comparison  and  revision.  This  the 
British  captain  hastened  to  do,  and  soon  followed  his  books  to  the  deck 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  383 

of  the  frigate,  where  a  lieutenant  met  him,  clothed  in  full  British  uniform. 
A  file  of  marines,  dressed  in  the  scarlet  coats  of  the  British  service,  stood 
on  the  deck ;  and  the  duped  Englishman  greatly  admired  the  appearance 
of  the  frigate,  remarking  to  the  officer  who  escorted  him  to  Rodgers's 
cabin,  that  so  trim  a  craft  could  only  be  found  in  His  Majesty's 
service. 

On  entering  the  cabin,  the  English  officer  greeted  Commodore  Rodgers 
with  deference,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  tell  of  naval  matters. 

"I  have  here,"  said  he,  placing  a  bundle  of  papers  in  the  commodore's 
hands,  "a  numbers  of  despatches  for  Admiral  Warren,  who  is  on  this 
station.  You  may  not  know  that  one  of  the  principal  objects  of  our 
squadron  cruising  here  is  the  capture  of  the  Yankee  frigate  '  President,' 
which  has  been  greatly  annoying  British  commerce." 

Rodgers  was  naturally  much  interested  in  this  statement,  and  asked 
the  visitor  if  he  knew  much  about  the  commander  of  the  "President," 

"  I  hear  he  is  an  odd  fish,"  was  the  response ;  "  and  certainly  he  is 
devilish  hard  to  catch." 

Rodgers  started.  He  had  hardly  expected  so  frank  an  expression  of 
opinion. 

"Sir,"  said  he  emphatically,  "do  you  know  what  vessel  you  are  on 
board  of ? " 

"Why,  certainly,  —  on  board  of  His  Majesty's  ship  'Sea-Horse."1 

"No,  sir,  you  are  mistaken,"  was  the  startling  response.  "You  are 
on  board  of  the  United  States  frigate  *  President,'  and  I  am  Commodore 
Rodgers." 

The  astounded  Englishman  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  rushed  to  the  deck. 
The  sight  he  saw  there  was  still  more  startling.  The  quarter-deck  was 
crowded  with  officers  in  United  States  uniform.  The  scarlet  coats  of  the 
marines  had  vanished,  and  were  replaced  by  Yankee  blue.  Even  as  he 
looked,  the  British  flag  came  fluttering  down,  the  American  ensign  went 
ap,  and  the  band  struck  up  "Yankee  Doodle." 

Nothing  was  left  to  the  Englishman  but  to  submit ;  and,  with  the  best 
grace  possible,  he  surrendered  his  vessel  and  himself  to  the  "odd  fish," 
who  had  so  cleverly  trapped  him. 

Three  days  later,  the  "  President,"  with  her  prize,  and  crowded  with 
prisoners,  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Newport,  after  a  cruise  of 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


one  hundred  and  forty-eight  days.  In  actual  results,  the  cruise  was  far 
from  satisfactory,  for  but  eleven  vessels  had  been  taken.  But  the  service 
rendered  the  country  by  annoying  the  enemy's  merchantmen,  and  draw- 


I  AM   COMMODORE  RODGERS." 


ing  the  British  war-vessels  away  in  chase,  was  vast.  At  one  time  more 
than  twenty  British  men-of-war  were  searching  for  the  roving  American 
frigate ;  and  the  seafaring  people  of  the  United  States  were  thus  greatly 
benerited  by  the  "  President's  "  prolonged  cruise. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

DECATUR  BLOCKADED  AT  NEW  YORK.  —  ATTEMPTS  TO  ESCAPE  THROUGH  LONG  ISLAND 
SOUND.  — THE  FLAG-SHIP  STRUCK  BY  LIGHTNING. -TORPEDOES. —  FULTON'S  STEAM  FRIGATE* 
-ACTION  BETWEEN  THE  "CHESAPEAKE"  AND  "SHANNON." 


HILE  the  "  President "  was  thus  roaming  the  seas,  almost 
within  sight  of  the  shores  of  the  British  Isles,  events  were 
occurring  along  the  American  coast  which  were  little  likely  to 
raise  the  spirits  of  the  people  of  the  United  States.  From  the 
"President,"  the  " Congress,"  the  "Essex,"  and  the  smaller  vessels  that 
were  upholding  the  honor  of  the  flag  upon  the  ocean,  they  could  hear 
nothing.  But  worse  than  this  was  it  for  the  good  people  of  New  York 
or  Boston  to  go  down  to  the  water-side  and  see  stanch  United  States 
frigates  kept  in  port  by  the  overwhelming  forces  of  the  enemy,  that  lay 
watchfully  outside  the  harbor's  mouth. 

For  there  was  no  doubt  about  it :  the  blockade  was  daily  becoming 
closer;  and  in  the  months  of  April  and  May  a  ship  would  have  found 
it  a  hard  task  to  run  out  of  New  York  Harbor  without  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  British  fleet  stationed  there.  But,  at  that  very  time,  thrjf 
stout  men-of-war  floated  on  the  waves  of  that  noble  bay,  under  the  com- 

385 


3^6  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

mand  of  an  officer  little  used  to  staying  quietly  in  port  in  time  of  war. 
The  officer  was  Stephen  Decatur:  and  the  ships  were  the  flag-ship 
"  United  States ; "  the  captured  "  Macedonian,"  repaired,  and  flying  the 
stars  and  stripes,  under  the  command  of  the  gallant  Capt.  Jacob  Jones  ; 
and  the  sloop-of-war  "Hornet,"  Capt.  Biddle. 

With  this  force  under  his  command,  Decatur  burned  with  the  desire 
to  get  to  sea.  The  watchfulness  of  the  British  at  the  Narrows  made  it 
useless  to  think  of  escaping  that  way  :  therefore,  he  determined  to  pass 
up  the  sound,  and  reach  the  ocean  by  way  of  the  opening  between 
Montauk  Point  and  Block  Island.  At  the  very  outset  of  this  voyage, 
however,  was  a  serious  obstacle.  Through  the  narrow  channel  of  the 
East  River,  between  Ward's  Island  and  the  Long  Island  shore,  the  tides 
rushed  with  a  mad  speed  and  turbulence,  that  had  won  for  the  strait 
the  significant  name  of  Hell  Gate.  The  United  States  Government  had 
not  then  bent  its  energies  to  undermining  and  blowing  into  bits  the 
jagged  rocks  that  at  low  tide  reared  their  crests  above  the  swirling 
eddies.  With  its  tides  like  mill  races,  and  rocks  hidden  beneath  the 
treacherous  water,  Hell  Gate  was  a  fearful  place  for  any  ship  to  make 
its  way  through  with  the  uncertain  aid  of  sails  alone.  Still  greater  were 
its  dangers  for  the  ponderous  and  deep-laden  men-of-war,  that  required 
deep  water  and  plenty  of  sea-room  for  their  movements.  Such  consid 
erations,  however,  had  no  weight  with  Decatur,  who  had  seen  his  ships 
lying  idly  at  their  anchorage  off  Staten  Island  long  enough.  In  the 
night  of  May  24,  he  accordingly  got  up  anchors  and  started  for  the 
sound. 

Hell  Gate  was  passed  safely,  thanks  to  a  skilful  pilot,  whom  neither 
the  darkness  of  the  night,  nor  the  perils  of  the  narrow  channel,  could 
daunt.  Once  past  this  danger,  the  three  vessels  made  their  way  up  the 
sound,  with  the  flag-ship  leading.  They  had  gone  but  a  little  way  when 
black  clouds  to  the  westward  told  of  a  coming  storm.  The  cloud-bank 
came  rolling  up  rapidly;  and  soon,  with  a  burst  of  rain,  the  three  vessels 
were  enveloped  in  the  thunder-shower.  The  lightning  flashed  through 
the  black  clouds,  the  thunder  crashed  and  roared,  and  the  wind  shrieked 
fiercely  through  the  cordage.  The  "  United  States "  held  her  place  at 
the  head  of  the  squadron  ;  while  behind,  at  the  distance  of  half  a  cable's- 
length,  came  the  "  Macedonian."  Suddenly  the  men  on  the  deck  of  the 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  387 

latter  vessel  were  horrified  to  see  a  jagged  flash  of  lightning  cut  its 
zigzag  course  through  the  clouds,  then  dart,  straight  as  an  arrow,  at  the 
main-mast  of  the  "United  States."  Hoarse  cries  were  heard  from 
the  deck  of  the  stricken  frigate  ;  and  the  captain  of  the  "  Macedonian," 
fearing  lest  the  "  States  "  should  blow  up,  threw  all  aback  on  his  ship,  to 
escape  the  explosion.  But  happily  the  thunderbolt  had  done  little  serious 
injury.  In  its  course  it  had  cut  away  the  pendant ;  shot  into  the  doctor's 
cabin,  extinguishing  that  worthy's  candle,  to  his  vast  astonishment ;  then, 
gliding  away,  broke  through  the  ship's  hull  near  the  water-line,  and 
plunged  into  the  sea,  after  ripping  off  a  few  sheets  of  copper  from  the 
ship's  bottom.  No  delay  was  caused  by  the  accident ;  though  the  super 
stitious  sailors  pronounced  it  an  evil  omen,  and  dismally  predicted  all 
sorts  of  disasters. 

On  the  29th  of  May  the  squadron  reached  the  strait  through  which 
Decatur  hoped  to  gain  the  ocean  ;  but,  to  the  intense  disappointment  of 
all  on  board,  a  formidable  British  fleet  barred  all  egress.  Three  days 
later  the  Americans  made  an  attempt  to  slip  out  unseen  ;  but,  failing  in 
this,  they  returned  to  New  London  harbor,  where  the  two  frigates  were 
kept  rotting  in  the  mud  until  the  war  was  ended.  The  "  Hornet  "  luckily 
managed  to  run  the  blockade,  and  of  her  exploits  we  shall  hear  later. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  three  American  ships  at  New  London,  the 
enemy  guarded  the  coast  with  renewed  vigilance.  The  inhabitants  made 
every  attempt  to  drive  away  the  blockaders ;  and  in  the  course  of  this 
prolonged  struggle  there  appeared,  for  almost  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  warfare,  that  most  terrible  of  offensive  weapons,  the  submarine  torpedo. 

During  the  Revolution,  two  attempts  had  been  made  to  blow  up  British 
men-of-war  by  means  of  torpedoes,  invented  by  a  Saybrook  mechanic 
named  Bushnell.  Though  the  attempts  failed,  'yet  the  torpedoes  demon 
strated  their  tremendous  power.  Before  the  declaration  of  the  second 
war  with  England,  Robert  Fulton,  the  inventor  of  the  steamboat,  had 
made  many  improvements  upon  Bushnell's  designs,  and  had  so  thoroughly 
spread  the  knowledge  of  torpedo  warfare  that  it  suggested  itself  to  many 
New  Englanders  as  a  means  of  driving  the  enemy  from  their  coast. 

The  first  attempt  was  well  planned,  but  failed  through  an  entirely 
accidental  combination  of  circumstances.  Certain  private  citizens  (for  in 
that  day  it  was  thought  ignoble  for  a  government  to  embark  in  torpedo 


388  BLUE-JACKETS  OF   1812. 

warfare)  fitted  out  in  New  York  a  schooner,  the  "  Eagle,"  in  the  hold 
of  which  ten  kegs  of  powder,  together  with  sulphur  and  piles  of  heavy 
stones,  were  placed.  In  the  head  of  one  of  the  casks  were  two  gun- 
locks,  primed,  and  held  in  place  by  two  barrels  of  flour.  Should  either  of 
the  barrels  be  moved,  the  lock  would  spring,  and  the  terrible  mine  would 
explode  with  tremendous  force.  With  this  dreadful  engine  of  destruction, 
carefully  covered  by  a  cargo  of  flour  and  naval  stores,  the  "  Eagle "  left 
New  York,  and  made  her  way  up  the  bay,  until,  near  New  London,  she 
was  overhauled  and  captured  by  the  British  frigate  "  Ramillies."  Boats 
were  sent  out  by  the  English  to  take  possession  of  the  prize ;  but  the 
crew  of  the  "  Eagle,"  seeing  the  enemy  coming,  took  to  their  small  boats, 
and  succeeded  in  safely  reaching  the  shore.  The  captors,  on  boarding 
the  vessel,  were  vastly  pleased  to  find  that  its  cargo  consisted  largely 
of  flour,  of  which  the  "  Ramillies "  stood  in  great  need.  They  at  once 
attempted  to  get  the  frigate  alongside  the  prize,  that  the  captured  cargo 
might  be  readily  transferred.  But  a  calm  had  fallen,  and  two  hours'  con 
stant  work  with  sweeps  and  towing  was  unavailing.  Accordingly,  this 
plan  of  action  was  abandoned,  and  the  boats  were  ordered  to  lighter 
the  cargo  from  the  "Eagle"  to  the  frigate.  Hardly  had  the  first  barrel 
been  moved,  when,  with  a  roar,  and  rush  of  flame  and  smoke  as  from  a 
volcano,  the  schooner  blew  up.  Huge  timbers,  stones,  and  barrels  were 
sent  flying  high  into  the  air.  The  lieutenant  and  ten  men  from  the 
frigate,  who  were  on  the  "  Eagle "  at  the  time,  were  blown  to  atoms ; 
and  the  timbers  and  missiles,  falling  on  all  sides,  seriously  injured  many 
men  in  the  boats  near  by.  Had  the  frigate  been  alongside,  where  her 
commander  had  endeavored  to  place  her,  she  would  have  gone  to  the 
bottom,  with  all  her  crew. 

An  attempt  so  nearly  successful  as  this  could  not  be  long  in  leading 
others  to  make  similar  ventures.  Sir  Thomas  Hardy,  the  commander  of 
the  "  Ramillies,"  was  kept  in  a  constant  fever  of  apprehension,  lest  some 
night  his  ship  should  be  suddenly  sent  to  the  bottom  by  one  of  the 
insidious  torpedoes.  Several  times  the  ship  was  attacked  ;  and  her  escapes 
were  so  purely  matters  of  accident,  that  she  seemed  almost  to  be  under 
the  protection  of  some  sailors'  deity.  A  Norwich  mechanic,  who  had 
invented  a  submarine  boat  with  a  speed  of  three  miles  an  hour,  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  under  the  bottom  of  the  blockader  three  times,  but 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  389 

was  each  time  foiled  in  his  attempt  to  attach  a  torpedo  to  the  ship's 
hull.  Another  American,  a  fisherman,  succeeded  in  getting  alongside  in 
a  whale-boat,  unobserved,  but  was  driven  away  before  he  could  get  his 
torpedo  in  position.  Such  constant  attacks  so  alarmed  Hardy,  that  at 
last  he  gave  up  bringing  his  ship  to  anchor,  keeping  her  continually 
under  way,  and,  as  a  further  precaution,  causing  her  bottom  to  be  swept 
every  two  hours  throughout  the  day  and  night. 

The  use  of  torpedoes  was  not  confined  to  the  people  of  New  England. 
New  York  Harbor  was  closed  with  a  row  of  them.  The  British  seventy- 
four  "  Plantagenet,"  lying  off  Cape  Henry,  Virginia,  was  nearly  sunk  by 
one  in  the  charge  of  Mr.  Mix,  an  American  naval  officer.  The  attack  was 
made  near  ten  o'clock,  on  an  unusually  dark  night.  Mix  and  his  asso 
ciates  pulled  in  a  heavy  boat  to  a  point  near  the  bow  of  the  menaced 
vessel.  The  torpedo  was  then  slipped  into  the  water,  with  the  clock 
work  which  was  to  discharge  it  set  in  motion.  The  rushing  tide  carried 
the  destructive  engine  down  toward  the  frigate ;  and  the  Americans  pulled 
away  into  the  darkness,  to  await  the  explosion.  But  the  clockwork  had 
been  badly  adjusted,  and  the  torpedo  exploded  just  before  it  reached  the 
ship.  A  huge  column  of  water,  gleaming  with  a  ghostly  sulphurous  light, 
was  thrown  high  in  the  air,  falling  with  terrific  force  on  the  deck  of  the 
frigate,  which  was  almost  capsized  by  the  shock. 

A  veritable  storm  of  abuse  and  condemnation  followed  the  introduc 
tion  of  torpedo  warfare.  All  countries  and  all  peoples  pronounced  it 
treacherous  and  cowardly,  and  the  English  press  was  particularly  loud 
in  its  denunciations.  Yet  the  torpedo  had  won  its  place  in  the  arma 
ments  of  nations ;  and  to-day  we  see  all  the  nations  of  Europe  vieing  with 
each  other  in  the  invention  and  construction  of  powerful  and  accurate 
torpedoes  and  swift  torpedo-boats. 

The  germ  of  another  feature  of  modern  naval  organization  is  to  be 
found  in  the  annals  of  the  War  of  1812.  The  first  war-vessel  propelled 
by  steam  was  launched  by  the  Americans  for  service  in  this  war.  She 
was  designed  by  Robert  Fulton,  and  bore  the  name  of  "  Fulton  the 
First."  In  model  she  was  a  queer  craft,  with  two  hulls  like  a  catamaran, 
with  the  single  propelling-wheel  mounted  between  them  amidships.  Her 
armament  was  to  consist  of  thirty  thirty-two-pounder  guns,  and  two  one- 
hundred-pounder  columbiads.  A  secondary  engine  was  designed  to  throw 


390  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

floods  of  water  upon  the  decks  and  through  the  port-holes  of  an  enemy. 
While  the  vessel  was  building,  reports  concerning  her  reached  England; 
and  soon  the  most  ludicrously  exaggerated  accounts  of  her  power  were 
current  in  that  country.  "  She  mounts  forty-four  guns/'  said  an  English 
paper,  "four  of  which  are  one-hundred-pounders,  mounted  in  bomb-proofs, 
and  defended  by  thousands  of  boarding-pikes  and  cutlasses  wielded  by 
steam ;  while  showers  of  boiling  water  are  poured  over  those  boarders 
who  might  escape  death  from  the  rapidly  whirling  steel."  Unfortunately 
for  the  American  cause,  this  much  dreaded  vessel  did  not  get  into  the 
water  in  time  to  take  any  active  part  in  the  war. 

In  June,  1813,  while  the  British  blockaders  in  the  Sound  were  exer 
cising  all  their  ingenuity  to  keep  of  the  torpedoes,  there  was  fought  off 
the  Massachusetts  coast,  near  Boston,  an  engagement  which  must  go 
down  to  history  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant  naval  duels  of  the  age  of 
sails.  The  United  States  frigate  "  Chesapeake "  was  refitting  at  Boston; 
after  a  cruise  of  four  months,  during  which  she  had  more  than  justified 
her  reputation  as  an  unlucky  ship.  Though  she  sailed  the  waters  most 
frequented  by  British  merchantmen,  she  returned  to  port  having  captured 
only  four  vessels.  Three  men-of-war  were  sighted,  but  could  not  be 
spoken.  Strangely  enough,  the  frigate  sailed  over  the  spot  where  lay 
the  sunken  " Peacock"  the  very  day  after  the  "Hornet"  had  fought  her 
famous  fight.  Ill-luck  pursued  the  hapless  ship  even  to  her  home  port ; 
for,  as  she  was  entering  the  port  of  Boston,  a  sudden  squall  carried  away 
the  topmast,  with  several  men  who  were  aloft  at  the  time. 

When  the  "Hornet"  reached  port,  after  her  victory  over  the  "Pea 
cock,"  her  gallant  captain,  James  Lawrence,  was  appointed  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  "Chesapeake."  On  reaching  his  ship,  he  found  affairs  in  a 
desperate  condition.  The  sailors  who  had  sailed  on  the  long  and  unpro 
ductive  cruise  were  firmly  convinced  that  the  frigate's  bad  luck  was 
beyond  remedy.  The  term  of  enlistment  of  many  had  expired,  and  they 
were  daily  leaving  the  ship.  Those  who  remained  were  sullen,  and  smart 
ing  under  fancied  ill-treatment  in  the  matter  of  the  prize-money.  To  get 
fresh  seamen  was  no  easy  task.  Great  fleets  of  privateers  were  being 
fitted  out ;  and  sailors  generally  preferred  to  sail  in  these  vessels,  in 
which  the  discipline  was  light,  and  the  gains  usually  great.  Some  sailors 
from  the  "Constitution"  were  induced  to  join  the  "Chesapeake;"  and 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  39 1 

these,  with  the  remnant  of  the  frigate's  old  crew,  formed  the  nucleus 
of  a  crew  which  was  filled  up  with  merchant-sailors  and  foreigners  of 
all  nations.  Before  the  lists  were  fairly  filled,  the  ship  put  to  sea,  to 
give  battle  to  an  adversary  that  proved  to  be  her  superior. 

The  events  leading  to  the  action  were  simple,  and  succeeded  each 
other  hurriedly.  The  port  of  Boston  was  blockaded  by  two  British 
frigates,  the  "  Tenedos "  thirty-eight,  and  the  "  Shannon "  thirty-eight. 
The  latter  vessel  was  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Philip  Bowes  Vere 
Broke,  a  naval  officer  of  courage,  skill,  and  judgment.  His  crew  was 
thoroughly  disciplined,  and  his  ship  a  model  of  efficiency.  No  officer  in 
the  service  understood  better  than  he  the  difference  between  the  dis 
cipline  of  a  martinet  and  the  discipline  of  a  prudent  and  sagacious  com 
mander.  His  ship  might  not,  like  the  "  Peacock,"  merit  the  title  of  "  the 
yacht ; "  but  for  active  service  she  was  always  prepared.  James,  an 
English  naval  historian,  turns  from  his  usual  occupation  of  explaining 
the  American  naval  victories  by  belittling  the  British  ships,  and  enor 
rnously  magnifying  the  power  of  the  victors,  to  speak  as  follows  of  the 
"  Shannon :"  — 

"From  the  day  on  which  he  [Capt.  Broke]  joined  her,  the  I4th  of 
September,  1806,  the  'Shannon'  began  to  feel  the  effect  of  her  captain's 
proficiency  as  a  gunner,  and  zeal  for  the  service.  The  laying  of  the 
ship's  ordnance  so  that  it  may  be  correctly  fired  in  a  horizontal  direc 
tion  is  justly  deemed  a  most  important  operation,  as  upon  it  depends,  in 
a  great  measure,  the  true  aim  and  destructive  effect  of  the  shot ;  this 
was  attended  to  by  Capt.  Broke  in  person.  By  drafts  from  other  ships, 
and  the  usual  means  to  which  a  British  man-of-war  is  obliged  to  resort, 
the  *  Shannon  '  got  together  a  crew ;  and  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  two, 
by  the  paternal  care  and  excellent  regulations  of  Capt.  Broke,  the  ship's 
company  became  as  pleasant  to  command  as  it  was  dangerous  to  meet." 
Moreover,  the  historian  goes  on  to  relate  that  the  ship's  guns  were 
carefully  sighted,  and  her  ammunition  frequently  overhauled.  Often  a 
cask  would  be  thrown  overboard,  and  a  gun's  crew  suddenly  called  to 
sink  it  as  it  bobbed  about  on  the  waves  astern.  Practice  with  the  great 
guns  was  of  daily  occurrence.  "  Every  day  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half 
in  the  forenoon,  when  not  prevented  by  chase  or  the  state  of  the 
weather,  the  men  were  exercised  at  training  the  guns  ;  and  for  the  same 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 


time  in  the  afternoon  in  the  use  of  the  broad-sword,  musket,  pike,  etc. 
Twice  a  week  the  crew  fired  at  targets,  both  with  great  guns  and  mus 
ketry  ;  and  Capt.  Broke,  as  an  additional  stimulus  beyond  the  emulation 
excited,  gave  a  pound  of  tobacco  to  every  man  that  put  a  shot  through 
the  bull's-eye." 

Such  was  the  vessel  that  in  June  appeared  alone  off  the  entrance  to 
Boston  Harbor,  and  by  her  actions  seemed  to  challenge  the  "Chesapeake" 
to  give  her  battle.  Indeed,  Broke's  wish  to  test  the  strength  of  the  two 
vessels  was  so  great,  that  he  sent  in,  by  the  hands  of  an  American 
prisoner,  a  written  challenge,  the  terms  and  spirit  of  which  showed  the 
writer  to  be  a  courageous  and  chivalric  officer  and  gentleman.  "As  the 
'  Chesapeake  '  now  appears  ready  for  sea,"  he  wrote,  "  I  request  you  will 
do  me  the  honor  to  meet  the  'Shannon'  with  her,  ship  to  ship,  to  try 
the  fortunes  of  our  respective  flags.  To  an  officer  of  your  character,  it 
requires  some  apology  for  proceeding  to  further  particulars.  Be  assured, 
sir,  it  is  not  from  any  doubt  I  can  entertain  of  your  wishing  to  close 
with  my  proposal,  but  merely  to  provide  an  answer  to  any  objection 
which  might  be  made,  and  very  reasonably,  upon  the  chance  of  our 
receiving  any  unfair  support."  Capt.  Broke  then  proceeds  to  assure 
Lawrence  that  the  other  British  ships  in  the  neighborhood  would  be 
sent  away  before  the  day  of  combat.  To  the  challenge  was  appended  a 
careful  statement  of  the  strength  of  the  "Shannon,"  that  Lawrence 
might  understand  that  the  ships  were  fairly  matched. 

But  before  this  challenge  reached  Boston,  Lawrence  had  set  out  to 
seek  the  enemy.  He  had  seen  the  "  Shannon  "  lying  off  the  entrance 
to  the  port  ;  and,  finding  out  that  she  was  alone,  he  knew  that  her  pres 
ence  was  in  itself  a  challenge  that  he  could  not  honorably  ignore.  Nor 
did  he  desire  to  avoid  the  battle  thus  offered.  He  had  confidence  in  his 
crew,  his  frigate,  and  himself,  and  looked  for  nothing  but  victory.  To 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  he  wrote,  "  An  English  frigate  is  now  in 
sight  from  my  deck.  I  have  sent  a  pilot  -boat  out  to  reconnoitre  ;  and, 
should  she  be  alone,  I  am  in  hopes  to  give  a  good  account  of  her  before 
night.  My  crew  appear  to  be  in  fine  spirits,  and  I  hope  will  do  their 
duty." 

In  truth,  however,  the  condition  of  this  same  crew  was  such  that  the 
captain  would  have  been  justified  in  refusing  the  challenge.  An  unusual 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  393 

number  of  foreign  sailors  were  enrolled,  among  whom  was  a  Portuguese, 
who,  in  the  ensuing  battle,  did  incalculable  injury  to  the  cause  of  the 
"Chesapeake."  The  crew  had  never  drilled  together;  many  of  the  sailors 
came  on  board  only  a  few  hours  before  the  ship  sailed  out  to  battle. 
All  the  old  sailors  were  sullen  over  the  delay  in  the  payment  of  the 
prize-money  of  their  last  cruise.  Lawrence  attempted  to  allay  their  dis 
content  by  giving  them  checks  for  the  prize-money ;  but  the  sense  of 
injury  still  lingered  in  the  minds  of  the  men,  and  they  were  ill-fitted  to 
do  battle  for  the  honor  of  the  flag.  Added  to  this  evil  was  the  fact  that 
the  first  and  second  lieutenants  and  two  acting  lieutenants  were  away 
on  sick-leave,  and  the  ship  was  thus  left  short  of  officers  on  the  eve  of 
battle. 

Regardless  of  the  disadvantages  under  which  he  labored,  Lawrence 
weighed  anchor  on  the  ist  of  June,  and  started  down  the  harbor.  As 
he  approached  the  ocean,  Lawrence  mustered  his  crew  aft,  and  eloquently 
urged  them  to  fight  bravely,  and  do  their  duty  to  the  country,  which  had 
entered  upon  this  war  in  defence  of  seamen  and  their  rights.  Three 
ensigns  were  run  up ;  and  at  the  fore  was  unfurled  a  broad  white  flag, 
bearing  the  motto,  "FREE  TRADE  AND  SAILORS'  RIGHTS."  When  Law 
rence  closed  his  speech,  and  pointed  out  the  flag  floating  at  the  fore, 
the  men  cheered  and  went  forward,  leaving  the  captain  convinced  that 
he  could  depend  upon  their  loyalty. 

The  morning  was  bright  and  cool,  with  a  fresh  breeze  blowing,  before 
which  the  "  Chesapeake "  rapidly  bore  down  upon  the  foe  that  awaited 
her.  Following  cautiously  in  her  track  came  a  number  of  small  craft, 
—  pilot-boats,  sloops,  fishing-smacks,  and  pleasure-boats,  —  that  had  come 
down  the  bay  to  see  the  outcome  of  the  battle.  Hundreds  of  people  of 
Boston  rode  along  the  coast,  in  hopes  of  gaining  an  outlook  from  which 
the  progress  of  the  fight  might  be  viewed. 

At  noon  the  ship  rounded  Boston  Light,  and  made  out  into  the  open 
sea.  The  "  Shannon  "  went  ahead,  under  easy  sail,  making  up  the  coast 
toward  Salem.  Towards  five  o'clock  the  "  Chesapeake "  luffed  up  for  a 
moment ;  while  the  pilot  clambered  clown  the  side,  and  put  off  in  a  small 
boat.  A  gun  was  then  fired,  as  a  signal  that  the  Americans  were  ready 
for  action. 

Tnc  "  Shannon "  evidently  understood  the   purport  of   the   signal ;   for 


394 


BLUE-JACKETS    OF    1812. 


she  quickly  hove  to,  and  troops  of  agile  jackies  clambered  up  her  rigging, 
and  began  to  take  in  sail.     The  "  Chesapeake"  followed  suit,  and  was  soon 
under  only  top-sails  and  jib.      She  then 
laid  her  course  straight  for  the  enemy. 

A  ship  preparing  for  action  in  that 
day  was  a  scene  of  hurry  and  confusion 
that  cannot  be  equalled  in  this  era  of 
machinery  and  few 
guns.  At  the  short, 
broken,  rolling  beat  of 
the  drums,  calling  the 
men  to  quarters,  the 
hurried  rush  of  hun 
dreds  of  feet  began,  as 
the  men  came  pouring 
from  all  parts  of  the 
ship  to  their  posts. 
Some  clambered  aloft 
to  their  stations  in  the 
tops ;  others  invaded 
the  sanctity  of  the 
quarter-deck  and  cap 
tain's  cabin,  where 
several  guns  are  al 
ways  mounted.  But 
the  most  stirring  scene 
is  on  the.  long  gun-deck 
where  the  men  grad 
ually  fall  into  their 
places  at  the  two  long 

rows  of  great  guns  that  peer  through  the  open  ports  on  either  side.  All  are 
stripped  to  the  waist ;  and  at  many  a  gun  the  fair  skin  of  the  American 
sailor  gleams  white  by  the  side  of  some  swarthy  Spaniard,  or  still  darker 
negro. 

All  quiet  down  on  reaching  their  stations ;    and,  five  minutes  after  the 
drum-beats,  no  sound  is  heard,  save  perhaps  the  steps  of  the  black  boys, 


BEATING  TO  QUARTERS. 


THE  ONLY  SHOT   OF   THE  "CHESAPEAKE" 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  395 

taking  rations  of  grog  around,  that  the  men  may  "  splice  the  main  brace" 
before  going  into  the  fight. 

Thus  silently  did  the  "  Chesapeake"  bear  down  upon  her  adversary. 
There  was  no  long-range  firing;  for  the  two  commanders  were  veterans, 
whose  chief  desire  was  to  settle  the  dispute  yard-arm  to  yard-arm.  Grad 
ually  the  American  ship  ranged  alongside  the  "  Shannon,"  at  a  distance 
of  half  pistol-shot ;  and,  as  her  fore-mast  came  in  a  line  with  the  "  Shan 
non's  "  mizzen-mast,  the  latter  opened  fire  with  her  cabin-guns.  For  a  mo 
ment  the  "Chesapeake"  was  silent,  waiting  for  her  guns  to  bear;  then,  with 
sulphuric  flashes  and  a  thunderous  roar,  she  let  fly  her  whole  broadside. 
Then  followed  a  duel  with  great  guns.  The  two  ships,  lying  side  by 
side,  dealt  and  received  staggering  blows.  The  spectators  in  small  boats, 
who  kept  a  safe  distance,  and  the  crowds  of  eager  watchers  on  the 
far-off  heights  of  Salem,  saw  through  their  spy-glasses  the  flash  of  the 
first  broadsides,  and  the  flying  splinters  that  followed  the  course  of 
the  deadly  shot.  Then  a  heavy  cloud  of  yellow  smoke  settled  over  the 
warring  leviathans,  and  all  further  incidents  of  the  battle  were  shut  out 
from  view.  Only  the  top-masts  of  the  ships,  with  the  half-furled  sails 
and  the  opposing  ensigns  flying,  could  be  seen  above  the  smoke. 

Under  this  vaporous  pall,  the  fighting  was  sharp  and  desperate.  The 
first  broadside  of  the  "  Shannon"  so  swept  the  decks  of  the  American 
frigate,  that,  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  quartered  on  the  upper  deck, 
not  fifty  were  upon  their  legs  when  the  terrible  rush  of  the  shot  was 
over.  The  sailors  in  the  tops  of  the  British  frigate,  looking  down  upon 
the  decks  of  their  enemy,  could  see  nothing  but  a  cloud  of  hammocks, 
splinters,  and  wreckage  of  all  kinds,  driven  fiercely  across  the  deck. 
Both  men  at  the  wheel  fell  dead,  but  their  places  were  soon  filled  ;  while 
fresh  gunners  rushed  down  to  work  the  guns  that  had  been  silenced  by 
the  enemy's  fearful  broadside.  In  a  moment  the  "Chesapeake"  responded 
with  spirit,  and  for  some  time  broadsides  were  exchanged  with  incon 
ceivable  rapidity.  The  men  encouraged  each  other  with  cheers  and 
friendly  cries.  They  had  named  the  guns  of  the  frigate,  and  with  each 
telling  shot  they  cheered  the  iron-throated  monster  which  had  hurled  the 
bolt.  "Wilful  Murder,"  "Spitfire,"  "Revenge,"  "Bull  Dog,"  "Mad 
Anthony,"  "Defiance,"  "Raging  Eagle,"  and  "Viper"  were  some  of  the 
titles  born  by  the  great  guns  ;  and  well  the  weapons  bore  out  the  names 

thus  bestowed  upon  them.     The  gunnery  of  the  Americans  was  good,  their 
14 


396  BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 

shot  doing  much  damage  to  the  enemy's  rigging.  But  the  effect  of  the 
"  Shannon's "  broadsides  was  such  that  no  men,  however  brave,  could 
stand  before  them.  They  swept  the  decks,  mowing  down  brave  fellows 
by  the  score.  Officers  fell  on  every  side.  At  a  critical  moment  the  two 
ships  fouled,  exposing  the  "  Chesapeake "  to  a  raking  broadside,  which 
beat  in  her  stern-ports,  and  drove  the  gunners  from  the  after-port.  At 
this  moment,  Lawrence  was  wounded  in  the  leg,  but  remained  at  his 
post  and  ordered  that  the  boarders  be  called  up.  Unhappily  a  negro 
bugler  had  been  detailed  for  the  duty  usually  performed  by  drummers ; 
and,  at  this  important  moment,  he  could  not  be  found.  Midshipmen  and 
lieutenants  ran  about  the  ship,  striving  to  call  up  the  boarders  by  word 
of  mouth.  In  the  confusion,  the  bugler  was  found  skulking  under  the 
stem  of  the  launch,  and  so  paralyzed  by  fear  that  he  could  only  give  a 
feeble  blast  upon  his  instrument.  In  the  din  and  confusion  of  battle, 
the  oral  orders  of  the  officers  only  perplexed  the  men  ;  and  the  moment 
for  boarding  was  lost.  At  that  very  moment,  the  turning-point  of  the 
conflict,  Capt.  Lawrence  was  struck  by  a  musket-bali,  and  fell  mortally 
wounded  to  the  deck.  His  officers  rushed  to  his  side,  and,  raising  him 
gently,  were  carrying  him  below,  when  in  a  firm  voice  he  cried, — 

"Tell  the  men  to  fire  faster,  and  not  give  up  the  ship.  Fight  her 
till  she  sinks." 

With  these  words  on  his  lips,  he  was  carried  to  the  ward-room. 

At  this  moment,  the  upper  deck  was  left  without  an  officer  above  the 
rank  of  midshipman.  The  men,  seeing  their  captain  carried  below,  fell 
into  a  panic,  which  was  increased  by  the  explosion  of  an  arm-chest,  into 
which  a  hand-grenade,  hurled  by  a  sailor  lying  out  on  the  yard-arm  of 
the  "Shannon,"  had  fallen.  Seeing  that  the  fire  of  the  Americans  had 
slackened,  Capt.  Broke  left  his  quarter-deck,  -and,  running  hastily  forward, 
gained  a  position  on  the  bow  of  his  ship  from  which  he  could  look 
down  upon  the  decks  of  the  "Chesapeake."  His  practised  eye  quickly 
perceived  the  confusion  on  the  deck  of  the  American  frigate ;  and  he 
instantly  ordered  that  the  ships  be  lashed  together,  and  the  boarders 
called  up.  An  old  quartermaster,  a  veteran  in  the  British  navy,  set 
about  lashing  the  ships  together,  and  accomplished  his  task,  although 
his  right  arm  was  actually  hacked  off  by  the  cutlass  of  an  American 
sailor.  The  boarders  were  slow  in  coming  up,  and  but  twenty  men  fol 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


397 


lowed  Broke  as  he  climbed  to  the  deck  of  the  "Chesapeake."  Broke 
led  his  men  straight  for  the  quarter-deck  of  the  frigate.  The  Americans 
offered  but  little  resistance.  Not  an  officer  was  in  sight  to  guide  the 


rfl 


ON   BOARD  THE  "CHESAPEAKE." 


men,  and  the  newly  enlisted  sailors  and  foreigners  fled  like  sheep   before 
the  advance  of  the  boarders. 

The  British  reached  the  quarter-deck  with  hardly  the  loss  of  a  man. 
Here  stood  Mr.  Livermore,  the  chaplain  of  the  "  Chesapeake,"  who  had 
cruised  long  with  Lawrence,  and  bitterly  mourned  the  captain's  fate. 
Determined  to  avenge  the  fallen  captain,  he  fired  a  pistol  at  Broke's 
head,  but  missed  him.  Broke'  sprang  forward,  and  dealt  a  mighty  stroke 
of  his  keen  cutlass  at  the  chaplain's  head,  who  saved  himself  by  taking 
the  blow  on  his  arm.  While  the  boarders  were  thus  traversing  the  upper 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 


deck,  the  sailors  in  the  tops  of  the  "Chesapeake"  were  keeping  up  a 
well-directed  fire,  before  which  many  of  the  Englishmen  fell.  But  this 
resistance  was  not  of  long  duration ;  for  one  of  the  "  Shannon's "  long 
nines,  loaded  with  grape,  swept  clean  the  "  Chesapeake's "  tops.  With 
this,  the  British  were  in  full  control  of  the  upper  deck. 

Up  to  this  time,  the  Americans  on  the  gun-deck  had  known  nothing 
of  the  events  occurring  on  the  deck  above  them.  When  the  news  of 
the  British  assault  spread,  Lieut.  Budd  called  upon  the  men  to  follow 
him,  and  drive  the  boarders  back  to  their  own  ship.  A  number  of  the 
marines  (who  behaved  splendidly  throughout  the  fight)  and  some  twenty 
veteran  sailors  were  all  that  responded  to  the  call  Broke  had  in  the 
mean  time  summoned  the  marines  of  the  "  Shannon "  to  his  aid ;  and 
the  British,  led  by  their  dashing  commander,  were  pouring  in  a  dense 
column  down  the  companion-ways  to  the  gun-deck.  Budd  and  his  hand 
ful  of  followers  attacked  them  fiercely  ;  and,  by  the  very  desperation  of 
the  onset,  the  British  were  forced  back  a  few  paces.  Broke  threw  him 
self  upon  the  Americans.  With  his  cutlass  he  cut  down  the  first  man 
who  attacked  him,  and  bore  down  upon  the  others,  dealing  deadly  blows 
right  and  left.  His  followers  came  close  behind  him.  The  Americans 
fell  on  every  side,  and  began  to  retreat  before  the  overwhelming  force 
of  their  foes.  Up  from  the  wardroom  came  Lieut.  Ludlow,  already  suffer 
ing  from  two  dangerous  wounds.  He  placed  himself  beside  the  younger 
officer,  and  the  two  strove  in  every  way  to  encourage  their  men  But 
Ludlow  soon  fell,  with  a  gaping  wound  across  his  forehead.  Budd  was 
cut  down,  and  fell  through  the  hatchway  to  the  deck  beneath.  The 
sailors,  seeing  both  officers  fall,  gave  way  in  confusion  ;  and  the  ship  was 
in  the  hands  of  the  British.  A  few  marines  kept  up  a  fire  through  the 
hatchway,  but  soon  were  silenced. 

An  English  officer,  Lieut.  Watts,  ran  to  the  halliards  to  haul  down 
the  American  flag.  But  it  would  seem  that  the  good  genius  which  had 
watched  over  that  starry  banner  throughout  the  war  was  loath  to  see  it 
disgraced ;  for  the  officer  had  hardly  finished  his  work,  when  a  grape-shot 
from  his  own  ship  struck  him,  and  he  fell  dead. 

The  noise  of  the  battle  had  by  this  time  died  away,  and  the  fresh 
breezes  soon  carried  off  the  smoke  that  enveloped  the  combatants.  It 
was  an  awful  scene  thus  exposed  to  view.  On  the  "  Chesapeake "  were 
sixty-one  killed,  and  eighty-five  wounded  men.  On  the  "Shannon"  were 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  399 

thirty-three  dead,  and  fifty  wounded.  On  a  cot  in  the  wardroom  lay  Capt. 
Lawrence,  his  mortal  wound  having  mercifully  rendered  him  unconscious, 
so  that  he  knew  nothing  of  the  loss  of  his  ship.  Broke  had  been  made 
delirious  by  the  fevered  throbbing  of  the  wound  he  had  so  long  neglected. 
Everywhere  were  evidences  of  carnage  and  desolation. 

Little  time  was  lost  in  getting  the  ships  in  order  after  the  surrender. 
The  noise  of  the  hammer  and  saw  was  heard  in  every  quarter.  The 
wounded  were  taken  to  the  sick-bay,  and  the  bodies  of  the  dead  were 
committed  to  the  ocean.  Floods  of  water  and  the  heavy  holystones  took 
from  the  decks  the  stains  of  blood.  The  galley  cooks  marched  up  and 
down  the  decks,  sprinkling  hot  vinegar  with  a  lavish  hand.  The  British 
prize-crew  took  possession  of  the  captured  ship,  and  in  a  few  hours  the 
captor  and  captive  were  well  on  their  way  toward  Halifax. 

They  reached  port  on  the  /th  of  June ;  and  the  sight  of  the  "  Shan 
non,"  followed  by  the  "Chesapeake"  with  the  British  ensign  flying 
proudly  over  the  stars  and  stripes,  stirred  the  little  city  to  the  utmost 
enthusiasm.  As  the  two  ships  pursued  their  stately  course  up  the  harbor, 
the  British  men-of-war  on  all  sides  manned  their  yards,  and  fired  salutes 
in  honor  of  the  victory.  The  thunders  of  the  cannon  brought  the  town's- 
people  to  the  water-side,  and  their  cheers  rang  out  lustily  to  welcome 
their  conquering  countrymen  to  port. 

Capt.  Lawrence  had  died  the  day  before ;  and  his  body,  wrapped  in 
an  American  flag,  lay  on  the  quarter-deck  of  his  frigate.  Three  days 
later,  his  body,  with  that  of  his  gallant  lieutenant  Ludlow,  was  laid  to 
rest  with  imposing  naval  honors,  in  the  churchyard  of  Halifax.  But  his 
country,  honoring  him  even  in  the  day  of  his  defeat,  was  not  content 
that  his  body  should  lie  in  the  soil  of  an  enemy's  country.  Two  months 
after  the  battle,  an  American  vessel,  the  "Henry"  of  Salem,  entered  the 
harbor  of  Halifax,  under  cover  of  a  flag  of  truce,  and  took  on  board 
the  bodies  of  Lawrence  and  Ludlow.  They  were  conveyed  first  to  Salem 
and  later  to  New  York,  where  they  now  lie  under  a  massive  monument 
of  sandstone,  in  a  corner  of  Trinity  churchyard.  A  few  feet  away,  the 
ceaseless  tide  of  human  life  rolls  on  its  course  up  and  down  Broadway; 
few  of  the  busy  men  and  women  pausing  to  remember  that  in  the 
ancient  churchyard  lies  the  body  of  the  man  whose  dying  words,  "Don't 
give  up  the  ship,"  were  for  years  the  watchword  and  motto  of  the 
United  States  navy. 


CHAPTER    X. 


CRUISE  OF  THE  "  ESSEX."  —  A  RICH  PRIZE.  —  THE  MYSTERIOUS  LETTER.  —  CAPE  HORN 
ROUNDED. —  CAPTURE  OF  A  PERUVIAN  PRIVATEER.  —  AMONG  THE  BRITISH  WHALERS.— 
PORTER  IN  COMMAND  OF  A  SQUADRON.  — A  BOY  COMMANDER.  — THE  SQUADRON  LAYS 
UP  AT  NOOKAHEEVAH. 


HILE  the  events  related  in  the  two  preceding  chapters  were 
occurring  along  the  American  coast,  a  few  gallant  vessels 
were  upholding  the  honor  of  the  stars  and  stripes  in  far  distant 
lands.  To  cruise  in  waters  frequented  by  an  enemy's  merchant 
men,  and  capture,  burn,  sink,  and  destroy,  is  always  a  legitimate  occupa 
tion  for  the'  navy  of  a  belligerent  nation.  Yet  the  nation  suffering  at 
he  hands  of  the  cruisers  invariably  raises  the  cry  of  "wanton  vandalism 
and  cruelty,"  and  brands  the  officers  to  whom  falls  so  unpleasant  a  duty 
with  the  name  of  pirates.  Such  was  the  outcry  raised  against  Paul 
Jones  in  the  Revolutionary  war;  so  it  was  the  British  described  the 
brilliant  service  of  the  little  brig  "Argus"  in  1813;  and  so  the  people 
of  the  North  regarded  the  career  of  the  "  Alabama "  and  other  Con 
federate  cruisers  in  the  great  war  for  the  Union.  But  perhaps  no  ship 
400 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  401 

had  ever  a  more  adventurous  career,  or  wrought  more  damage  to  the 
enemy's  commerce,  than  the  United  States  frigate  "  Essex,"  under 
the  command  of  the  able  officer  David  Porter. 

Of  the  circumstances  which  led  to  the  famous  cruise  of  the  "Essex," 
some  account  has  already  been  given.  With  a  full  crew,  and  stores 
enough  to  enable  her  to  keep  the  sea  for  some  months,  the  ship  set  sail 
from  the  Delaware  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  and  headed  to  the  southward 
with  the  intention  of  joining  the  "Constitution"  and  "Hornet"  at  some 
point  in  the  tropics.  Her  first  point  of  call  was  at  Porto  Praya,  a 
harbor  in  the  Cape  Verd  Islands.  To  the  captain's  disappointment,  he 
could  learn  nothing  of  Bainbridge  at  this  place ;  and  he  soon  departed, 
after  scrupulously  exchanging  salutes  with  a  rickety  little  fort,  over 
which  floated  the  flag  of  Portugal.  Continuing  her  southward  way,  the 
"Essex"  crossed  the  equator,  on  which  occasion  the  jolly  tars  enjoyed 
the  usual  ceremonies  attendant  upon  crossing  the  line.  Father  Neptune 
and  his  faithful  spouse,  with  their  attendant  suite,  came  aboard  and  super- 
intended  the  operation  of  shaving  and  dowsing  the  green  hands,  whose 
voyages  had  never  called  them  before  into  the  Southern  seas.  Capt. 
Porter  looked  upon  the  frolic  indulgently.  He  was  well  known  as  a 
captain  who  never  unnecessarily  repressed  the  light-heartedness  of  his 
crew.  Two  hours  daily  were  set  aside  during  which  the  crew  were  free 
to  amuse  themselves  in  any  reasonable  way.  At  four  o'clock  every  after 
noon,  the  shrill  piping  of  the  boatswain's  whistle  rang  through  the  ship, 
followed  by  the  cry,  "  D'ye  hear  there,  fore  and  aft  ?  All  hands  skylark  !  " 
No  order  ever  brought  a  quicker  response,  and  in  a  minute  the  decks  be 
came  a  perfect  pandemonium.  The  sailors  rushed  here  and  there,  clad  in 
all  sorts  of  clothes ;  boxed,  fenced,  wrestled  ;  ran  short  foot-races  ;  played 
at  leap-frog,  and  generally  comported  themselves  like  children  at  play. 
Fights  were  of  common  occurrence ;  and  the  two  combatants  soon  became 
the  centre  of  an  interested  ring  of  spectators,  who  cheered  on  their  favorites 
with  loud  cries  of  "  Go  it,  Bill.  Now,  Jack,  lively  with  yer  left."  But  a  sailor 
has  no  better  friend  to-day  than  the  man  he  fought  yesterday  ;  and  the  fights, 
like  the  play,  only  kept  the  crew  in  good  spirits  and  contentment. 

The  day  after  crossing  the  equator,  the  "  Essex "  sighted  a  sail  and 
gave  chase.  Towards  evening  the  frigate  had  gained  greatly  upon  the 
stranger,  and  Porter  displayed  all  the  British  signals  which  he  had  in  his 


402  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

possession.  The  chase  made  no  response,  but  set  a  British  ensign.  By 
nine  o'clock,  the  "Essex"  was  within  musket-shot,  and  could  easily  have 
blown  the  fugitive  out  of  water ;  but  this  Porter  was  loath  to  do,  as  he 
desired  to  take  the  brig  without  doing  her  any  injury.  However,  as  she 
showed  no  signs  of  surrendering,  he  ordered  the  marines  to  give  her  a 
volley  of  musketry.  One  man  on  the  chase  was  killed,  and  a  number 
wounded,  upon  which  her  flag  was  immediately  hauled  down.  She  proved 
to  be  the  British  packet  "  Nocton  "  of  ten  guns.  In  her  hold  was  found 
fifty-five  thousand  dollars  in  specie,  which  was  at  once  taken  on  board 
the  "  Essex ; "  and  the  "  Nocton  "  was  sent  to  the  United  States  under 
the  charge  of  a  prize-crew.  Before  she  could  make  a  port,  she  fell  in 
with  a  British  man-of-war,  and  was  captured  after  a  few  hours'  chase. 

Two  days  after  parting  with  the  "  Nocton,"  the  "  Essex "  hove  m 
sight  of  the  Island  of  Fernando  Noronha,  off  the  coast  of  Brazil.  For 
a  time  the  frigate  abandoned  her  warlike  character,  battened  down  her 
ports,  housed  her  guns,  hid  her  large  crew  between  decks,  and  sailed 
into  the  little  harbor  looking  like  a  large  but  peaceable  British  merchant 
man.  An  officer  clad  in  plain  clothes  went  ashore,  and,  meeting  the 
governor,  stated  that  the  ship  was  the  "  Fanny "  of  London,  bound  for 
Rio  Janeiro.  During  the  conversation,  the  governor  remarked  that  His 
British  Majesty's  ships,  the  "Acosta"  forty-four,  and  the  "  Morgiana " 
twenty,  had  but  recently  sailed  from  the  port,  and  had  left  a  letter  for 
Sir  James  Yeo,  requesting  that  it  be  forwarded  to  England  as  soon  as 
possible.  With  this  news,  the  lieutenant  returned  to  the  ship.  On  hear 
ing  his  report,  Porter  at  once  surmised  that  the  letter  might  have  been 
left  for  him  by  Commodore  Bainbridge ;  and  he  at  once  sent  the  officei 
back,  bearing  the  message  that  the  "  Fanny "  was  soon  going  to  London, 
and  her  captain  would  see  the  letter  delivered  to  Sir  James  Yeo,  in 
person.  The  unsuspecting  governor  accordingly  delivered  up  the  epistle, 
and  it  was  soon  in  Porter's  hands.  The  note  read  as  follows:  — 

MY  DEAR  MEDITERRANEAN  FRIEND,  —  Probably  you  may  stop  here.  Don't  attempt 
to  water:  it  is  attended  with  too  many  difficulties.  I  learned,  before  I  left  Eng 
land,  that  you  were  bound  to  Brazil  coast.  If  so,  perhaps  we  may  meet  at  St. 
Salvador  or  at  Rio  Janeiro.  I  should  be  happy  to  meet  and  converse  on  our  old 
affairs  of  captivity.  Recollect  our  secret  in  those  times. 

Your  friend  of  His  Majesty's  ship  "Acosta," 
Sir  JAMES  YEO  of  His  British  Majesty's  ship  "  Southampton."  KERR. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  4°3 

Porter  read  and  pondered  over  this  perplexing  letter.  He  felt  sure 
that  the  letter  was  from  Bainbridge ;  and  in  the  allusion  to  St.  Salvador 
and  Rio  Janeiro,  he  perceived  the  commodore's  wish  for  a  rendezvous  at 
one  of  those  places.  But  what  could  be  the  secret  of  the  times  of  cap 
tivity?  Suddenly  a  thought  struck  him.  Might  there  not  be  something 
written  in  sympathetic  ink  ?  Hurriedly  calling  for  a  candle,  he  held  the 
letter  above  its  flame,  and  saw,  under  the  influence  of  the  heat,  words 
and  sentences  appearing  where  before  all  was  blank  paper. 

"I  am  bound  off  St.  Salvador,"  it  read;  "thence  off  Cape  Frio,  where 
I  intend  to  cruise  until  the  ist  of  January.  Go  off  Cape  Frio  to  the 
northward  of  Rio,  and  keep  a  lookout  for  me." 

That  afternoon  the  governor  of  the  island,  looking  out  toward  the 
harbor,  was  surprised  to  see  the  "  Fanny "  standing  out  under  a  full 
spread  of  canvas.  Porter  had  gained  all  the  information  that  he  wished, 
and  was  off  in  search  of  his  consorts.  This  search  he  continued  until 
the'  2Oth  of  January,  cruising  up  and  down  off  the  Brazilian  coast,  and 
taking  one  or  two  small  prizes.  In  this  unprofitable  service  the  ship's 
stores  were  being  rapidly  consumed.  Among  other  things,  the  supply 
of  rum  began  to  run  short ;  and  in  connection  with  this  occurred  a 
curious  incident,  that  well  illustrates  the  character  of  sailors.  The  daily 
rations  of  bread  were  reduced  one-half,  and  the  rations  of  salt  meat  one- 
third,  without  a  word  of  remonstrance  from  the  patient  crew.  Next  the 
discovery  was  made  that  the  rum  was  giving  out,  and  a  proportional  reduc 
tion  in  the  rations  of  grog  was  duly  ordered.  The  jackies  put  in  a  vigor 
ous  and  immediate  protest.  They  were  prepared,  they  said,  to  go  without 
grog,  should  the  supply  of  rum  be  unhappily  exhausted ;  but  so  long  as 
any  of  the  precious  fluid  remained,  their  rations  of  grog  should  not  be 
curtailed.  But  to  this  Porter  would  not  accede,  fearing  that,  should  the 
men  be  altogether  deprived  of  their  grog,  the  health  of  the  crew  might 
suffer.  Accordingly,  when  the  crew  were  piped  to  "splice  the  main  brace" 
the  next  day,  they  were  told  that  half  rations  only  would  be  issued  ;  and, 
if  the  grog  was  not  taken  up  in  fifteen  minutes,  the  tub  would  be  over 
turned,  and  the  rum  spilled  into  the  sea.  So  dire  a  threat  was  too  much 
for  the  rebellious  seamen  :  they  sprang  into  line,  with  their  tin  cups,  and 
drew  their  curtailed  rations  without  more  ado. 

Some  days  after  this  occurrence,  the  "Essex"  overhauled  a  Portuguese 


404  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

vessel,  from  the  captain  of  which  Porter  learned  that  an  American  frigate 
had  shortly  before  fought  and  sunk  an  English  frigate  off  the  coast  of 
Brazil ;  also,  that  it  was  rumored  that  an  American  corvette  of  twenty-two 
guns  had  been  brought  into  Rio,  a  prize  to  a  British  seventy-four.  This 
intelligence  placed  Capt.  Porter  in  some  perplexity.  He  felt  convinced 
that  the  successful  American  frigate  was  the  "Constitution;"  a  con 
jecture  in  which  he  was  correct,  for  the  news  referred  to  the  celebrated 
action  of  that  ship  with  the  "Java."  The  captured  American  corvette, 
he  concluded,  must  be  the  "Hornet;"  but  herein  the  captain  was  wrong, 
for  the  "Hornet  "  was  at  that  moment  blockading  the  "Bonne  Citoyenne." 

Porter  now  found  it  necessary  to  decide  upon  a  course  of  action. 
The  news  which  he  had  received  made  it  appear  most  improbable  that 
he  would  fall  in  with  either  of  the  United  States  vessels  for  which  he 
was  seeking.  He  was  far  from  home,  cruising  in  seas  much  frequented 
by  British  men-of-war.  There  were  no  naval  stations  or  outposts  belong 
ing  to  the  United  States,  into  which  he  could  put  for  protection  or 
repairs  ;  for  then,  as  now,  the  nation  ignored  the  necessity  of  such  supply- 
stations.  To  return  home  was  peculiarly  distasteful  to  the  captain,  who 
had  set  sail  with  the  intention  of  undertaking  a  long  cruise.  In  this 
dilemma,  he  wasted  but  little  time  in  thought.  By  rounding  Cape  Horn, 
he  would  carry  the  "  Essex "  into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  where  British  mer 
chantmen  abounded  and  men-of-war  were  few.  It  was  an  adventurous 
and  a  perilous  expedition  to  undertake ;  but  Porter,  having  decided  upon 
it,  wasted  no  time  in  getting  under  way.  That  very  night  he  took  his 
ship  out  of  the  snug  harbor  of  St.  Catherine's,  and  started  upon  his  long 
voyage  around  the  Horn. 

A  winter  voyage  around  Cape  Horn,  even  in  the  stoutest  of  ships,  is 
ah  undertaking  to  be  dreaded  by  the  most  courageous  seamen.  The 
"  Essex "  seemed  to  meet  with  more  than  her  share  of  stormy  weather. 
From  the  night  when  she  set  sail  from  St.  Catherine's,  until  she  dropped 
anchor  in  a  harbor  of  the  Island  of  Mocha,  almost  every  day  witnessed 
a  struggle  for  supremacy  between  the  raging  ocean  on  the  one  side,  and 
skilful  seamanship  and  nautical  science  on  the  other.  Capt.  Porter,  how 
ever,  proved  himself  ready  for  every  emergency.  No  peril  of  the  deep 
was  unforeseen,  no  ounce  of  prevention  unprovided.  The  safety  of  his 
ship,  and  the  health  of  his  men,  were  ever  in  his  thoughts;  and  accord 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  405 

ingly,  when  the  "  Essex "  rounded  into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  both  men  and 
ship  were  in  condition  to  give  their  best  service  to  the  enterprise  in 
which  they  were  embarked. 

After  rounding  Cape  Horn,  the  "  Essex "  made  her  way  northward 
along  the  desolate  coast  of  Chili,  until  she  reached  the  Island  of  Mocha. 
Here  she  anchored  for  a  day,  giving  the  crew  a  much  needed  run  on 
shore,  which  they  enjoyed  with  all  the  zest  of  schoolboys  out  for  a  day's 
holiday.  The  island  afforded  little  in  the  way  of  fresh  stores ;  but  some 
pigs  and  horses  were  shot,  and  devoured  with  gusto  by  men  who  for 
over  two  months  had  not  tasted  fresh  meat.  From  this  point  the  frigate 
made  for  Valparaiso,  and,  after  reconnoitring  the  port,  put  in  for  water 
and  stores.  The  officers  were  received  with  much  hospitality  by  the 
townspeople,  and,  after  a  few  days'  stay,  were  tendered  a  complimentary 
ball, — an  entertainment  into  which  the  young  officers  entered  with  great 
glee.  But,  unhappily  for  their  evening's  pleasure,  the  dancing  had  hardly 
begun,  when  a  midshipman  appeared  at  the  door  of  the  hall,  and 
announced  that  a  large  frigate  was  standing  into  the  harbor.  Deserting 
their  fair  partners,  the  people  of  the  "  Essex "  hastened  to  their  ship, 
and  were  soon  in  readiness  for  the  action ;  while  the  townspeople  thronged 
the  hills  overlooking  the  sea,  in  the  hopes  of  seeing  a  naval  duel.  But 
the  frigate  proved  to  be  a  Spaniard  ;  and,  of  course,  no  action  oc 
curred. 

The  "  Essex "  remained  several  days  at  Valparaiso,  and  during  her 
stay  two  or  three  American  whalers  put  into  the  harbor.  From  the 
captains  of  these  craft,  Porter  learned  that  the  Peruvians  were  sending  out 
privateers  to  prey  upon  American  commerce,  and  that  much  damage  had 
already  been  done  by  these  marauders,  who  were  no  more  than  pirates, 
since  no  war  existed  between  Peru  and  the  United  States.  Porter 
determined  to  put  an  immediate  stop  to  the  operations  of  the  Peruvian 
cruisers,  and  had  not  long  to  wait  for  an  opportunity.  A  day  or  two 
after  leaving  Valparaiso,  a  sail  was  sighted  in  the  offing,  which  was  soon 
near  enough  to  be  made  out  a  vessel-of-war,  disguised  as  a  whaler. 
Porter  hung  out  the  English  ensign,  and  caused  an  American  whaler,  with 
which  he  had  that  morning  fallen  in,  to  hoist  a  British  flag  over  the 
stars  and  stripes.  At  this  sight,  the  stranger  hoisted  the  Spanish  flag, 
and  threw  a  shot  across  the  bow  of  the  "Essex."  Porter  responded  by 


406 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


a  few  shot  that  whizzed  through  the  rigging  just  above  the  Spaniard's 
deck.  The  latter  thereupon  sent  a  boat  to  the  " Essex;"  and  the  officer 
who  came  aboard,  thinking  that  he  was  on  a  British  man-of-war,  boasted 
of  his  ship's  exploits  among  the  American  whalers.  His  vessel  was  the 


THE  PERUVIAN   PRIVATEER. 

Peruvian  privateer  "  Nereyda "  of  fifteen  guns,  and  she  had  captured  two 
American  whalers,  whose  crews  were  even  then  in  the  hold  of  the  priva 
teer.  He  admitted  that  Peru  had  no  quarrel  with  the  United  States, 
and  no  reason  for  preying  upon  her  commerce.  The  confession,  so 
'unsuspectingly  made,  gave  Porter  ample  grounds  for  the  capture  of  the 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  407 

offending  vessel.  Curtly  informing  his  astounded  visitor  that  he  was  on 
a  United  States  man-of-war,  Porter  ordered  the  gunners  to  fire  two  shots 
close  to  the  privateer.  This  was  done,  and  the  Peruvian  quickly  hauled 
down  his  colors.  The  American  officers,  on  boarding  the  prize,  found 
twenty-three  American  sailors,  who  had  been  robbed  of  all  that  they 
possessed,  stripped  of  half  their  clothing,  and  thrown  into  the  hold 
These  unfortunate  men  were  released  and  sent  to  the  "  Essex ; "  after 
which  all  the  guns  and  ammunition  of  the  privateer  were  thrown  over 
board,  and  the  vessel  ordered  to  return  to  Callao. 

After  this  act  of  summary  justice,  the  "Essex"  continued  in  her 
northward  course.  She  touched  at  Callao  ;  but,  much  to  the  disappoint 
ment  of  all  on  board,  there  were  no  British  vessels  among  the  shipping 
at  that  port.  Nor  could  the  lookouts,  for  some  days,  discern  from  the 
masthead  any  craft  other  than  the  double-hulled  rafts  of  logs,  called 
catamarans,  in  which  the  natives  along  the  Peruvian  coast  make  long 
voyages.  Weary  of  such  continued  ill-luck,  Porter  determined  to  make 
for  the  Galapagos  Islands,  where  it  was  the  custom  of  the  British  whal 
ing-ships  to  rendezvous.  But  it  seemed  that  ill-fortune  was  following 
close  upon  the  "  Essex ; "  for  she  sailed  the  waters  about  the  Galapagos, 
and  sent  out  boats  to  search  small  bays  and  lagoons,  without  finding  a 
sign  of  a  ship.  Two  weeks  passed  in  this  unproductive  occupation,  and 
Porter  had  determined  to  abandon  the  islands,  when  he  was  roused  from 
his  berth  on  the  morning  of  April  29,  1813,  by  the  welcome  cry  of 
"Sail,  ho!" 

All  hands  were  soon  on  deck,  and  saw  a  large  ship  in  the  offing.  All 
sail  was  clapped  on  the  frigate ;  and  she  set  out  in  hot  pursuit,  flying  the 
British  ensign  as  a  ruse  to  disarm  suspicion.  As  the  chase  wore  on,  two 
more  sail  were  sighted ;  and  Porter  knew  that  he  had  fallen  in  with  the 
long-sought  whalers.  He  had  no  doubt  of  his  ability  to  capture  all  three ; 
for  in  those  southern  seas  a  dead  calm  falls  over  the  ocean  every  noon, 
and  in  a  calm  the  boats  of  the  "  Essex "  could  easily  take  possession 
of  the  whalers.  By  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  vessel  first  sighted 
was  overhauled,  and  hove  to  in  obedience  to  a  signal  from  the  frigate. 
She  proved  to  be  the  "  Montezuma,"  Capt.  Baxter,  with  a  cargo  of  four 
teen  hundred  barrels  of  sperm-oil.  Baxter  visited  Capt.  Porter  in  his 

cabin,  and  sat  there  unsuspectingly,  giving  the  supposed  British   captain 
17 


-408  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

information  for  his  aid  in  capturing  American  ships.  The  worthy  whaler 
Jittle  knew,  as  he  chatted  away,  that  his  crew  was  being  transferred  to 
the  frigate,  and  a  prize-crew  sent  to  take  charge  of  the  "  Montezuma." 
r  By  noon  the  expected  calm  fell  over  the  water ;  and  the  boats  were 
ordered  away  to  take  possession  of  the  two  whalers,  that  lay  motionless 
some  eight  miles  from  the  "Essex."  The  distance  was  soon  passed,  and 
•he  two  ships  were  ordered  to  surrender,  which  they  quickly  did,  much 
astonished  to  find  a  United  States  man-of-war  in  that  region.  A  breeze 
shortly  after  springing  up,  all  the  prizes  bore  down  upon  the  frigate ; 
and  the  gallant  lads  of  the  "Essex"  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  them 
selves  surrounded  with  captured  property  to  the  value  of  nearly  half  a 
million  dollars.  One  of  the  vessels,  the  "  Georgiana,"  was  a  good  sailer, 
fetrongly  built,  and  well  fitted  for  a  cruiser.  Accordingly  she  was  armed 
tvith  sixteen  guns  and  a  number  of  swivels,  and  placed  under  the  com 
mand  of  Lieut.  Downes.  With  this  addition  to  his  force,  and  with  the 
other  two  prizes  following  in  his  wake,  Porter  returned  to  the  Galapagos 
Islands.  The  first  sight  of  the  far-off  peaks  of  the  desert  islands  rising 
above  the  water  was  hailed  with  cheers  by  the  sailors,  who  saw  in  the 
Galapagos  not  a  group  of  desolate  and  rocky  islands,  but  a  place  where 
turtle  was  plenty,  and  shore  liberty  almost  unlimited.  Porter  remained 
pome  days  at  the  islands,  urging  the  crew  of  the  "  Essex,"  as  well  as  the 
prisoners,  to  spend  much  time  ashore.  Signs  of  the  scurvy  were  evident 
among  the  men,  and  the  captain  well  knew  that  in  no  way  could  the 
dread  disease  be  kept  away  better  than  by  constant  exercise  on  the  sands 
of  the  seashore.  The  sailors  entered  heartily  into  their  captain's  plans, 
and  spent  hours  racing  on  the  beach,  swimming  in  the  surf,  and  wander- 
ing  over  the  uninhabited  islands. 

After  a  few  days  of  this  sort  of  life,  the  squadron  put  to  sea  again. 
The  "  Georgianna "  now  separated  from  the  fleet,  and  started  on  an 
independent  cruise,  with  orders  for  a  rendezvous  at  certain  specific  times. 
The  "  Essex "  continued  to  hover  about  the  Galapagos,  in  the  hopes 
of  getting  a  few  more  whalers.  She  had  not  long  to  wait ;  for  the  whale 
ship  "Atlantic"  soon  fell  in  her  way,  and  was  promptly  snapped  up. 
The  captain  of  this  ship  was  a  Nantucket  man,  who  had  deserted  the 
flag  of  his  country,  to  cruise  under  what  he  thought  to  be  the  more 
powerful  flag  of  Great  Britain.  Great  was  his  disgust  to  find  that  by 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  409 


his  treachery  he  had  lost  all  that  he  desired  to  protect.  While  in  chase 
of  the  "Atlantic,"  a  second  sail  had  been  sighted;  and  to  this  the 
"Essex"  now  gave  chase.  On  being  overhauled,  the  stranger  at  first 
made  some  show  of  fighting;  but  a  shot  or  two  from  the  guns  of  the 
frigate  convinced  him  of  the  folly  of  this  course,  and  he  surrendered  at 
discretion.  The  vessel  proved  to  be  the  whale  ship  letter-of-marque 
"  Greenwich ; "  a  stout  ship,  of  excellent  sailing  qualities.  She  carried 
ten  guns,  and  was  in  every  way  a  valuable  prize. 

Porter  had  now  been  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  about  three  months.  On 
the  24th  of  February,  the  "  Essex,"  solitary  defender  of  the  flag  of  the 
United  States  in  the  Pacific,  had  turned  her  prow  northward  from  Cape 
Horn,  and  embarked  on  her  adventurous  career  in  the  most  mighty  of 
oceans.  Now  in  May,  Porter,  as  he  trod  the  deck  of  his  good  ship,  found 
himself  master  of  a  goodly  squadron  instead  of  one  stanch  frigate.  The 
"Essex,"  of  course,  led  the  list/followed  by  the/' Georgianna,"  sixteen 
guns,  forty-two  men  ;  "  Atlantic,"  six  guns,  twelve  men ;  "  Greenwich," 
ten  guns,  fourteen  men ;  "  Montezuma,"  two  guns,  ten  men ;  "  Policy," 
ten  men.  Of  these  the  "  Georgianna "  had  already  received  her  arma 
ment  and  authority  as  a  war-vessel ;  and  the  "  Atlantic "  showed  such 
seaworthy  qualities  that  Porter  determined  to  utilize  her  in  the  same 
way.  Accordingly  he  set  sail  for  Tumbez,  where  he  hoped  to  get  rid  of 
some  of  his  prisoners,  perhaps  sell  one  or  two  of  his  prizes,  and  make 
the  necessary  changes  in  the  "Atlantic."  While  on  the  way  to  Tumbez, 
a  Spanish  brig  was  overhauled.  Her  captain  vastly  edified  Capt.  Porter 
by  informing  him  that  the  "  Nereyda,"  a  Peruvian  privateer,  had  recently 
attacked  a  huge  American  frigate,  and  inflicted  great  damage  upon  the 
Yankee.  But  the  frigate  proving  too  powerful,  the  privateer  had  been 
forced  to  fly,  and  hastened  her  flight  by  throwing  overboard  all  her  guns 
and  ammunition. 

On  the  i  Qth  of  June,  the  "Essex"  with  her  satellites  cast  anchor  in 
the  harbor  of  Tumbez.  The  first  view  of  the  town  satisfied  Porter  that 
his  hopes  of  selling  his  prizes  there  were  without  avail.  A  more  squalid, 
dilapidated  little  seaside  village,  it  would  be  hard  to  find.  Hardly  had 
the  ships  cast  anchor,  when  the  governor  came  off  in  a  boat  to  pay  a 
formal  visit.  Though  clothed  in  rags,  he  had  all  the  dignity  of  a  Span 
ish  hidalgo,  and  strutted  about  the  quarter-deck  with  most  laughable 


410  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


self-importance.  Notwithstanding  his  high  official  station,  this  worthy 
permitted  himself  to  be  propitiated  with  a  present  of  one  hundred 
dollars ;  and  he  left  the  ship,  promising  all  sorts  of  aid  to  the  Americans 
Nothing  came  of  it  all,  however ;  and  Porter  failed  to  dispose  of  any  of 
his  prizes.  While  the  "  Essex "  with  her  train  of  captives  lay  in  the 
harbor  at  Tumbez,  the  "  Georgianna "  came  into  port,  and  was  greeted 
with  three  cheers  by  the  men  of  the  frigate.  Lieut.  Downes  reported 
that  he  had  captured  three  British  ships,  carrying  in  all  twenty-seven 
guns  and  seventy-five  men.  One  of  the  prizes  had  been  released  on 
parole,  and  the  other  two  were  then  with  the  "Georgianna."  This  addi 
tion  to  the  number  of  vessels  in  the  train  of  the  "  Essex  "  was  somewhat  of 
an  annoyance  to  Capt.  Porter,  who  saw  clearly  that  so  great  a  number 
of  prizes  would  seriously  interfere  with  his  future  movements  against 
the  enemy.  He  accordingly  remained  at  Tumbez  only  long  enough  to 
convert  the  "Atlantic"  into  an  armed  cruiser  under  the  name  of  the 
"  Essex  Junior,"  and  then  set  sail,  in  the  hopes  of  finding  some  port 
wherein  he  could  sell  his  embarrassing  prizes.  His  prisoners,  save  about 
seventy-five  who  enrolled  themselves  under  the  American  flag,  were 
paroled,  and  left  at  Tumbez  ;  and  again  the  little  squadron  put  to  sea. 
The  "  Essex  Junior "  was  ordered  to  take  the  "  Hector,"  "  Catherine," 
"Policy,"  and  "Montezuma"  to  Valparaiso,  and  there  dispose  of  them, 
after  which  she  was  to  meet  the  "  Essex "  at  the  Marquesas  Islands. 
On  her  way  to  the  rendezvous,  the  "  Essex "  stopped  again  at  the  Gala 
pagos  Islands,  where  she  was  lucky  enough  to  find  the  British  whaler 
"  Seringapatam,"  known  as  the  finest  ship  of  the  British  whaling  fleet. 
By  her  capture,  the  American  whalers  were  rid  of  a  dangerous  enemy; 
for,  though  totally  without  authority  from  the  British  Crown,  the  captain 
of  the  "  Seringapatam "  had  been  waging  a  predatory  warfare  against 
such  luckless  Americans  as  fell  in  his  path.  Porter  now  armed  this  new 
prize  with  twenty-two  guns,  and  considered  her  a  valuable  addition  to 
his  offensive  force.  She  took  the  place  of  the  "  Georgianna/'  which 
vessel  Porter  sent  back  to  the  United  States  loaded  with  oil. 

Among  the  embarrassments  which  the  care  of  so  many  prizes  brought 
upon  the  leader  of  the  expedition  was  the  difficulty  of  finding  command 
ing  officers  for  all  the  vessels.  This  difficulty  was  enhanced  while  the 
flotilla  lay  off  the  Galapagos  Islands;  for  two  officers,  falling  into  a  dis- 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


411 


pute,  settled  their  quarrel,  after  the  manner  of  the  day,  by  a  duel.  In 
the  contest  one,  a  lieutenant,  aged  only  twenty-one  years,  was  killed,  and 
now  lies  buried  in  the  sands  of  the  desolate  and  lonely  island.  After 
this  occurrence,  the  need  for  commanding  officers  became  so  imperative 
that  even  the  purser  and  chaplain  of  the  "  Essex  "  were  pressed  into  the 
service.  Midshipmen  twelve  or  fourteen  years  old  found  themselves  in 


THE  DUEL  AT  THE  GALAPAGOS  ISLANDS 

command  of  ships.  David  Farragut  was  one  of  the  boys  thus  suddenly 
promoted,  and  in  his  journal  has  left  a  description  of  his  experience  as 
a  boy  commander. 

"  I  was  sent  as  prize-master  to  the  *  Barclay,' "  he  writes.  "  This  was 
an  important  event  in  my  life ;  and,  when  it  was  decided  that  I  was  to 
take  the  ship  to  Valparaiso,  I  felt  no  little  pride  at  finding  myself  in 
command  at  twelve  years  of  age.  This  vessel  had  been  recaptured  from 
a  Spanish  guarda  costa.  The  captain  and  his  mate  were  on  board;  and 
I  was  to  control  the  men  sent  from  our  frigate,  while  the  captain  was 
to  navigate  the  vessel.  Capt.  Porter,  having  failed  to  dispose  of  the 
prizes  as  it  was  understood  he  intended,  gave  orders  for  the  '  Essex 


412  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


Junior'  and  all  the  prizes  to  start  for  Valparaiso.  This  arrangement 
caused  great  dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of  the  captain  of  the  'Barclay,' 
a  violent-tempered  old  fellow ;  and,  when  the  day  arrived  for  our  separa 
tion  from  the  squadron,  he  was  furious,  and  very  plainly  intimated  to 
me  that  I  would  'find  myself  off  New  Zealand  in  the  morning/  to  which 
I  most  decidedly  demurred.  We  were  lying  still,  while  the  other  ships 
were  fast  disappearing  from  view;  the  ' Commodore'  going  north,  and  the 
'  Essex  Junior '  with  her  convoy  steering  to  the  south  for  Valparaiso. 

"  I  considered  that  my  day  of  trial  had  arrived  (for  I  was  a  little 
afraid  of  the  old  fellow,  as  every  one  else  was).  But  the  time  had  come 
for  me  at  least  to  play  the  man  :  so  I  mustered  up  courage,  and  informed 
the  captain  that  I  desired  the  topsail  filled  away.  He  replied  that  he  would 
shoot  any  man  who  dared  to  touch  a  rope  without  his  orders  ;  he  '  would 
go  his  own  course,  and  had  no  idea  of  trusting  himself  with  a  d — d  nut 
shell  ; '  and  then  he  went  below  for  his  pistols.  I  called  my  right-hand 
man  of  the  crew,  and  told  him  my  situation  ;  I  also  informed  him  that 
I  wanted  the  main  topsail  filled.  He  answered  with  a  clear  '  Ay,  ay, 
sir ! '  in  a  manner  which  was  not  to  be  misunderstood,  and  my  confidence 
was  perfectly  restored.  From  that  moment  I  became  master  of  the 
vessel,  and  immediately  gave  all  necessary  orders  for  making  sail,  notify 
ing  the  captain  not  to  come  on  deck  with  his  pistols  unless  he  wished 
to  go  overboard  ;  for  I  would  really  have  had  very  little  trouble  in  having 
such  an  order  obeyed." 

On  the  3Oth  of  September,  the  squadron  fell  in  with  the  "  Essex 
Junior,"  which  had  come  from  Valparaiso.  Lieut.  Downes  reported  that 
he  had  disposed  of  the  prizes  satisfactorily,  and  also  brought  news 
that  the  British  frigate  "  Phoebe,"  and  the  sloops-of-war  "Raccoon"  and 
"Cherub,"  had  been  ordered  to  cruise  the  Pacific  in  search  of  the  auda 
cious  "Essex."  More  than  this,  he  secured  statistics  regarding  the  fleet 
of  British  whalers  in  the  Pacific,  that  proved  that  Porter  had  completely 
destroyed  the  industry,  having  left  but  one  whaler  uncaptured.  There 
was  then  no  immediate  work  for  Porter  to  do ;  and  he  determined  to 
proceed  with  his  squadron  to  the  Marquesas  Islands,  and  there  lay  up, 
to  make  needed  repairs  and  alterations. 

The  Marquesas  are  a  desolate  group  of  rocky  islands  lying  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  on  the  western  outskirts  of  Oceanica.  In  formation  they 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  4J3 

are  volcanic,  and  rise  in  rugged  mountain-peaks  from  the  bosom  of  the 
great  ocean.  Sea-fowl  of  all  sorts  abound ;  but  none  of  the  lower  mam 
mals  are  to  be  found  on  the  island,  save  swine  which  were  introduced  by 
Europeans.  The  people  at  the  time  of  Porter's  visit  were  simple  savages, 
who  had  seldom  seen  the  face  of  a  white  man;  for  at  that  early  day 
voyagers  were  few  in  the  far-off  Pacific. 

The  island  first  visited  by  the  "Essex"  was  known  to  the  natives  as 
Rooahooga.  Here  the  frigate  stopped  for  a  few  hours.  During  her  stay, 
the  water  alongside  was  fairly  alive  with  canoes  and  swimming  natives. 
They  were  not  allowed  to  come  on  board,  but  were  immensely  pleased 
by  some  fish-hooks  and  bits  of  iron  let  down  to  them  from  the  decks  of 
the  frigate.  Not  to  be  outdone  in  generosity,  the  islanders  threw  up  to 
the  sailors  cocoanuts,  fruits,  and  fish.  A  boat-crew  of  jackies  that  went 
ashore  was  surrounded  by  a  smiling,  chattering  throng  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  who  cried  out  incessantly,  "  Taya,  taya  "  (friend,  friend),  and 
strove  to  bargain  with  them  for  fruits.  They  were  a  handsome,  intelli 
gent-looking  people ;  tall,  slender,  and  well  formed,  with  handsome  faces, 
and  complexion  little  darker  than  that  of  a  brunette.  The  men  carried 
white  fans,  and  wore  bracelets  of  human  hair,  with  necklaces  of  whales' 
teeth  and  shells  about  their  necks,  ~  their  sole  articles  of  clothing.  Both 
men  and  women  were  tattoed ;  though  the  women  seemed  to  content 
themselves  with  bands  about  the  neck  and  arms,  while  the  men  were 
elaborately  decorated  from  head  to  foot.  Though  some  carried  clubs 
and  lances,  they  showed  no  signs  of  hostility,  but  bore  themselves  with 
that  simple  air  of  hospitality  and  unconscious  innocence  common  to  all 
savage  peoples  of  tropical  regions,  uncorrupted  by  association  with  civil 
ized  white  men. 

Porter  remained  but  a  short  time  at  this  island,  as  its  shallow  bays 
afforded  no  safe  anchorage  for  the  vessels.  But,  charmed  as  he  was  with 
the  friendly  simplicity  of  the  natives,  he  determined  to  remain  some  time 
in  the  vicinity,  provided  safe  anchorage  could  be  found.  This  essential 
was  soon  discovered  at  Nookaheevah,  where  the  ships  cast  anchor  in  a 
fine  harbor,  which  Porter  straightway  dubbed  Massachusetts  Bay.  Hardly 
had  the  ship  anchored,  when  a  canoe  containing  three  white  men  came 
alongside,  and  was  ordered  away  by  the  captain,  who  thought  them 
deserters  from  some  vessel.  The  canoe  then  returned  to  the  shore,  and 


4H  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

the  three  whites  were  joined  by  a  vast  assemblage  of  armed  natives. 
Porter  now  began  to  fear  lest  he  had  offended  the  natives,  and  proceeded 
at  once  to  the  beach,  with  four  boats  well  armed  and  manned.  But,  by 
the  time  the  boats'  prows  grated  upon  the  white  sand,  every  native  had 
disappeared  ;  ind  the  sole  figure  visible  was  that  of  a  young  man,  who 
advanced,  and,  giving  a  formal  naval  salute,  announced  himself  as  Mid 
shipman  John  M.  Maury,  U.S.N.  Porter  was  greatly  surprised  to  find  a 
midshipman  in  so  strange  a  place ;  but  the  latter  explained  it  by  stating 
that  he  was  on  furlough,  and  had  been  left  there  by  a  merchant-vessel, 
which  was  to  call  for  him.  She  had  never  returned,  however,  and  he 
now  hailed  the  "  Essex "  as  an  opportunity  for  escape.  A  second  white 
man,  who  then  put  in  an  appearance,  naked  and  tattooed  like  an  Indian, 
proved  to  be  an  Englishman  who  had  been  on  the  island  for  years,  and 
who,  by  his  knowledge  of  the  language  and  character  of.  the  natives, 
proved  of  great  assistance  to  the  Americans,  during  the  long  stay  upon 
which  Capt.  Porter  had  determined. 


CHAPTER   XL 


WAR  WITH  THE  SAVAGES.  —  THE  CAMPAIGN  AGAINST  THE  TYPEES.  —  DEPARTURE  FROM 
NOOKAHEEVAH.  —  THE  "ESSEX"  ANCHORS  AT  VALPARAISO.- ARRIVAL  OF  THE"PHOZBE" 
AND  "  CHERUB."  —  THEY  CAPTURE  THE  "  ESSEX."  —  PORTER'S  ENCOUNTER  WITH  THE 
"SATURN."  — THE  MUTINY  AT  NOOKAHEEVAH. 


T  was  now  the  last  of  October,  1813.  Capt.  Porter  saw  that  the 
work  he  desired  done  upon  the  ships  under  his  charge  would 
occupy  about  six  weeks,  and  he  at  once  set  about  forming  such 
relations  of  peace  and  amity  with  the  natives  as  should  enable 
him  to  procure  the  necessary  supplies  and  prosecute  his  work  unmo 
lested.  Much  to  his  dismay,  he  had  hardly  begun  his  diplomatic  palaver 
with  the  chiefs,  when  he  learned  that  to  keep  one  tribe  friendly  he  must 
fight  its  battles  against  all  other  tribes  on  the  island.  The  natives  of 
Nookaheevah  were  then  divided  into  a  large  number  of  tribal  organiza 
tions.  With  three  of  these  the  Americans  were  brought  into  contact,  — 
the  Happahs,  the  Taeehs,  and  the  Typees.  The  Taeehs  lived  in  the  fer- 
iile  valley  about  the  bay  in  which  the  American  squadron  was  anchored. 
With  these  people  Porter  treated  first,  and  made  his  appearance  in  their 
village  in  great  state,  being  accompanied  by  the  band,  the  marines,  and 
several  boats'  crews  of  jackies.  He  was  hospitably  received  by  the 
natives,  who  crowded  about  to  listen  to  the  band,  and  wonder  at  the  mili 
tary  precision  of  the  marines,  whom  they  regarded  as  supernatural  beings. 

415 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


Gattanewa,  the  chief,  expressed  his  abounding  love  for  the  captain,  and 
exchanged  names  with  him,  after  the  custom  of  the  people  ;  but  ended  by 
saying  that  the  lawless  Happahs  were  at  war  with  the  Taeehs,  and  the 
Americans,  to  gain  the  friendship  of  the  latter  tribe,  must  make  common 
cause  with  them  against  their  enemies.  To  this  Porter  demurred,  but 
the  wily  chief  thereupon  brought  forward  a  most  conclusive  argument. 
He  said  that  the  Happahs  had  cursed  his  mother's  bones  ;  and  that,  as 
he  and  Porter  had  exchanged  names,  that  estimable  woman  was  the  cap 
tain's  mother  also,  and  the  insult  to  her  memory  should  be  avenged  It 
is  probable  that  even  this  argument  might  have  proved  unavailing,  had 
not  the  Happahs  the  next  night  descended  upon  the  valley,  and,  having 
burned  two  hundred  bread-fruit  trees,  departed,  leaving  word  that  the 
Americans  were  cowards,  and  dared  not  follow  them  into  their  mountain 
fastnesses.  Porter  saw  that  his  food  supplies  were  in  danger  from  these 
vandals,  and  his  knowledge  of  savage  character  convinced  him  that  he 
could  have  no  peace  with  any  of  the  natives  until  the  insolence  of  this 
tribe  was  punished.  Accordingly  he  notified  the  Taeehs,  that,  if  they 
would  carry  a  gun  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  mountain  peaks,  he  would 
send  a  party  against  the  Happahs.  The  Taeehs  eagerly  agreed  ;  and, 
after  seeing  the  gun  fired  once  or  twice  (a  sight  that  set  them  fondling 
and  kissing  it,  to  show  their  reverence  for  so  powerful  a  weapon), 
they  set  off  up  the  steep  mountain  sides,  tugging  the  gun  after  them. 
Lieut.  Downes  led  the  American  forces.  They  had  hardly  reached  the 
mountain  tops,  when  the  fighting  began.  The  Happahs  were  armed  with 
spears,  and  with  slings,  from  which  they  threw  heavy  stones  with  terrific 
velocity.  They  seemed  to  know  no  fear,  and  stood  gallantly  before  the 
advancing  Americans,  fairly  darkening  the  air  with  clouds  of  stones  and 
spears.  The  Americans,  though  few  in  number,  —  forty,  opposed  to  nearly 
four  thousand  savages,  —  pressed  forward,  suffering  but  little  from  the 
weapons  of  their  foes.  From  the  deck  of  his  frigate  in  the  bay,  Porter 
could  see  the  steady  advances  of  his  forces,  as  they  drove  the  Happahs 
from  peak  to  peak.  Before  the  Americans  a  huge  native  strode  along, 
waving  wildly  the  American  flag.  The  howitzer  came  in  the  rear,  and 
was  every  now  and  then  discharged,  to  drive  the  foe  from  some  formid 
able  stronghold.  So  ignorant  of  fire-arms  were  the  enemy,  that  they  had 
no  idea  of  their  power,  often  fighting  until  the  muzzle  of  a  musket  was 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


417 


laid  to  their  temples  before  the  discharge.  But  before  nightfall  this  war 
like  spirit  was  broken,  and  the  victors  returned  to  their  ships,  their  native 
allies  carrying  five  dead  bodies  slung  on  poles.  Two  only  of  the  Ameri 
cans  were  wounded.  The  next  day  Happah  ambassadors  came  to  sue  for 
peace;  and  soon  every  tribe  on  the  island  joined  the  alliance,  save  the 
Typees,  and  a  distant  tribe  that  proudly  bore  the  unpronounceable  name 
of  Hatecaaheottwohos.  For  two  or  three  weeks  peace  reigned  undis 
turbed.  Work  was  pushed  on  the  vessels.  The  rats  with  which  the 


FIRING  THE  HOWITZER. 


'•Essex"  was  infested  were  smoked  out,  an  operation  that  necessitated 
the  division  of  the  crew  between  the  shore  and  the  other  vessels.  Porter 
himself,  with  his  officers,  took  up  his  quarters  in  a  tent  pitched  on  the 
shore.  Under  some  circumstances,  such  a  change  would  have  been  rather 
pleasant  than  otherwise ;  but  the  rainy  season  had  now  come  on,  and  the 
tent  was  little  protection  against  the  storms.  Noticing  this,  the  natives 
volunteered  to  put  up  such  buildings  as  the  captain  desired,  and  pro- 
ceeded  to  do  so  in  a  most  expeditious  manner.  At  early  dawn  four 


41 8  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

thousand  men  set  about  the  work,  and  by  night  had  completed  a  walled 
village,  containing  a  dwelling-house  for  the  captain,  another  for  his  officers, 
a  cooper's  shop,  hospital,  bake-house,  guard-house,  and  a  shed  for  the 
sentinel  to  walk  under.  For  their  services  the  men  received  old  nails, 
bits  of  iron  hoop,  and  other  metal  scraps,  with  which  they  were  highly 
delighted.  The  Americans  were  then  living  on  the  terms  of  the  most 
perfect  friendship  with  the  natives.  Many  of  the  jackies  had  been  taken 
into  the  families  of  the  islanders,  and  all  had  formed  most  tender  attach 
ment  for  the  beautiful  island  women  ;  who,  in  their  turn,  were  devoted  to 
the  "  Malleekees,"  who  were  such  mighty  men  of  war,  and  brought  them 
such  pretty  presents  of  beads  and  whales'  teeth.  The  Americans  entered 
into  the  celebrations  and  festivities  of  the  islanders,  watched  their  dances, 
joined  their  fishing  expeditions,  and  soon  were  on  the  friendliest  footing 
with  their  dusky  hosts. 

But  so  pleasant  and  peaceful  an  existence  was  not  destined  to  con 
tinue  long.  The  Typees,  who  inhabited  the  interior  of  the  island,  were 
beginning  to  stir  up  strife  against  the  Americans  ;  and  Porter  saw  that 
their  insolence  must  be  crushed,  or  the  whole  native  population  would 
unite  in  war  against  him.  But  to  begin  a  war  with  the  Typees  was  far 
from  Porter's  wish.  The  way  to  their  country  lay  over  rugged  precipices 
and  through  almost  impenetrable  jungles.  The  light-footed  natives  could 
easily  enough  scale  the  peaks,  or  thread  the  forests ;  but  to  Porter's 
sailors  it  would  be  an  exhausting  undertaking.  No  artillery  could  be 
taken  into  the  field,  and  the  immense  number  of  natives  that  might 
be  arrayed  against  the  sailors  made  the  success  of  the  expedition  very 
uncertain.  Porter,  therefore,  determined  to  try  to  adjust  the  difficulty 
amicably,  and  with  this  purpose  sent  an  ambassador  to  the  Typees, 
proposing  a  peaceful  alliance.  The  reply  of  the  natives  is  an  amusing 
example  of  the  ignorant  vainglory  of  savage  tribes,  unacquainted  with  the 
power  of  civilized  peoples.  The  Typees  saw  no  reason  to  desire  the  friend 
ship  of  the  Americans.  They  had  always  got  along  very  well  without  it- 
They  had  no  intention  of  sending  hogs  or  fruit  to  sell  to  the  Americans. 
If  the  Americans  wanted  supplies,  let  them  come  and  take  them.  The 
Americans  were  cowards,  white  lizards,  and  mere  dirt.  The  sailors  were 
weaklings,  who  could  not  climb  the  Nookaheevan  hills  without  aid  from 
the  natives.  This,  and  much  more  of  the  same  sort,  was  the  answer 
of  the  Typees  to  Porter's  friendly  overtures. 


BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812.  4J9 

This  left  no  course  open  to  the  Americans  save  to  chastise  the  inso 
lent  barbarians.  The  departure  of  the  expedition  was,  however,  delayed 
until  a  fort  could  be  built  for  the  protection  of  the  American  village. 
This  work,  a  sand-bag  battery,  calculated  to  mount  sixteen  guns,  was 
completed  on  the  I4th  of  November,  and  preparations  for  the  expedition 
were  then  begun.  And,  indeed,  it  was  time  that  the  Americans  showed 
that  they  were  not  to  be  insulted  with  impunity.  Already  the  Taeehs 
and  Happahs  were  beginning  to  wonder  at  the  delay,  and  rumors  spread 
about  the  village  that  the  whites  were  really  the  cowards  for  which  the 
Typees  took  them.  One  man,  a  chief  among  the  Happahs,  was  rash 
enough  to  call  Porter  a  coward  to  his  face ;  whereat  the  choleric  captain 
seized  a  gun,  and,  rushing  for  the  offender,  soon  brought  him  to  his 
knees,  the  muzzle  of  the  weapon  against  his  head,  begging  for  mercy. 
That  man  was  ever  after  Porter's  most  able  ally  among  the  natives. 

The  preparations  for  war  with  the  Typees  were  completed,  and  the 
expedition  was  about  to  set  out,  when  a  new  difficulty  arose,  this  time 
among  the  white  men.  First,  a  plot  was  discovered  among  the  British 
prisoners  for  the  recapture  of  the  "  Essex  Junior."  Their  plan  was  to 
get  the  crew  drunk,  by  means  of  drugged  rum,  and  then  rise,  seize  the 
vessel,  and  make  off  while  the  American  forces  were  absent  on  the  Typee 
expedition.  This  plot,  being  discovered,  was  easily  defeated ;  and  the 
leaders  were  put  in  irons.  Then  Porter  discovered  that  disaffection  had 
spread  among  his  crew,  which,  for  a  time,  threatened  serious  consequences. 
But  this  danger  was  averted  by  the  captain's  manly  actions  and  words, 
which  brought  the  jackies  to  his  side  as  one  man. 

On  the  28th  of  November  the  long-deferred  expedition  against  the 
Typees  left  the  snug  quarters  on  the  shore  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  The 
expedition  went  by  sea,  skirting  the  shore  of  the  island,  until  a  suitable 
landing-place  near  the  territory  of  the  hostile  tribe  was  reached.  The 
"Essex  Junior"  led  the  way,  followed  by  five  boats  full  of  men,  and  ten 
war-canoes  filled  with  natives,  who  kept  up  an  unearthly  din  with  dis 
cordant  conches.  When  the  forces  landed,  the  friendly  natives  were  seen 
to  number  at  least  five  thousand  men  ;  while  of  the  Americans,  thirty-five, 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  Porter,  were  considered  enough  for  the  work 
in  hand.  From  the  time  the  fighting  began,  the  friendly  natives  kept 
carefully  in  the  rear,  and  seemed  to  be  only  waiting  to  aid  the  victors, 
whether  they  should  be  Americans  or  Typees. 


420  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

Capt.  Porter  and  his  followers,  upon  landing,  sat  down  upon  the  beach 
for  breakfast ;  but  their  repast  was  rudely  disturbed  by  a  shower  of 
stones  from  an  ambuscade  of  Typees  in  the  edge  of  the  wood.  Stopping 
but  a  moment  to  finish  their  food,  the  jackies  picked  up  their  cutlasses 
and  muskets,  and  started  for  the  enemy.  They  were  soon  in  the  shady 
recesses  of  the  tropical  forest,  but  not  a  Typee  was  to  be  seen.  That 
the  enemy  was  there,  however,  was  amply  attested  by  the  hail  of  stones 
that  fell  among  the  invaders,  and  the  snapping  of  slings  that  could  be 
heard  on  all  sides.  This  was  a  kind  of  fighting  to  which  the  sailors 
were  not  accustomed  ;  and  for  a  moment  they  wavered,  but  were  cheered 
on  by  their  brave  leader,  and,  pushing  through  the  woods,  came  to  a 
clearing  on  the  banks  of  a  narrow  river.  But  here  a  sad  disaster  befell 
them  in  the  loss  of  Lieut.  Downes,  whose  ankle  was  broken  by  a  stone. 
He  was  sent  back  to  the  ship,  with  an  escort  of  five  men  ;  and  the  party, 
thus  reduced  to  twenty-nine,  forded  the  river,  and  scaled  its  high  bank, 
cheering  lustily,  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  Typees,  who  made  a  dogged 
stand  on  the  farther  shore.  By  this  time,  the  last  of  their  savage  allies 
had  disappeared. 

The  advance  of  the  Americans  was  now  checked  by  a  jungle  of  such 
rank  underbrush  that  the  cutlasses  of  the  men  made  no  impression  upon 
it ;  and  they  were  forced  to  crawl  forward  on  their  hands  and  knees, 
under  a  constant  fire  from  the  enemy.  From  this  maze,  they  burst  out 
upon  a  clearing,  and,  looking  about  them,  saw  no  sign  of  their  savage 
foes,  who  had  suddenly  vanished.  The  solution  of  this  mystery  was  soon 
discovered.  After  marching  a  few  rods  totally  unmolested,  a  sudden  turn 
in  the  path  brought  the  Americans  in  sight  of  a  formidable  stone  for 
tress,  perched  on  a  hill  commanding  the  road,  and  flanked  on  either  side 
by  dense  jungles.  The  wall  of  the  fortress  was  of  stone,  seven  feet  high  ; 
and  from  it,  and  from  the  thickets  on  either  side,  came  such  demoniac 
yells,  and  such  showers  of  stones,  as  convinced  the  Americans  that  they 
were  in  front  of  the  Typee  stronghold.  For  a  time  the  invaders  seemed 
in  danger  of  annihilation.  They  were  totally  unprotected,  and  flanked 
by  concealed  foes,  whose  missiles  were  plunging  down  upon  them  with 
deadly  effect.  Some  few  secured  places  behind  trees,  and  began  a  mus 
ketry  fire ;  but  the  alarming  cry  soon  arose  that  the  ammunition  was 
exhausted.  Five  men  were  immediately  despatched  to  the  beach  for 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  42*1 

more  cartridges,  while  the  few  remaining  determined  to  hold  their  posi 
tion  at  any  cost.  But  to  this  determination  they  were  unable  to  adhere. 
Had  the  Typees  charged,  the  whole  American  force  would  have  been 
swept  away  like  driftwood  before  a  springtime  flood.  But  the  savages 
neglected  their  opportunity;  and  the  Americans  first  gained  the  protection 
of  the  bushes,  then  fell  back  across  the  river,  and  so  to  the  beach. 

Here  a  council  of  war  was  held.  They  had  been  beaten  back  by 
savages  ;  enormously  outnumbered,  to  be  sure,  but  still  opposed  by  undis 
ciplined  warriors  armed  with  rude  weapons.  The  stain  of  that  defeat 
must  be  washed  out  by  a  victory.  Upon  one  point,  all  were  agreed. 
The  Happahs  had  played  them  false  by  leading  them  over  the  most 
dangerous  roads,  and  into  ambuscades  of  the  enemy.  To  such  treach 
erous  guides,  they  would  not  again  trust  themselves.  Before  he  again 
led  his  men  to  battle,  Porter  wished  to  try  diplomacy.  Although  he 
knew  that  he  had  been  beaten  in  the  engagement,  it  would  never  do  to 
confess  defeat  before  so  many  savages  (for  -the  Taeehs  and  Happahs 
were  now  swarming  about  him,  discussing  the  fight).  Accordingly  a 
messenger  was  sent  to  tell  the  Typees  that  a  handful  of  white  men  had 
driven  them  into  their  fort,  killing  and  wounding  many.  Now  a  large 
re-enforcement  of  white  men  was  on  the  beach,  ready  to  drive  them  from 
their  valley,  but  that  if  they  would  sue  for  peace  they  might  yet  save 
their  lives  and  their  villages.  At  this  the  Typees  laughed.  "  Tell  Opotee," 
said  they,  "  that  we  have  plenty  of  men  to  spare ;  while  his  men  are  few. 
We  have  killed  his  chief  warrior,  and  wounded  many  of  his  people.  We 
are  not  afraid  of  his  bouliics  [muskets] :  they  often  miss  fire,  and,  when 
they  wound,  don't  hurt  much.  If  the  Malleekees  can  drive  us  from  our 
valley,  why  don't  they  come  and  do  it?  —  not  stay  on  the  beach  and  talk." 

When  Porter  received  this  letter,  he  knew  that  he  must  again  take 
the  field  against  the  Typees,  or  his  half-hearted  allies  would  abandon  him 
and  join  his  foes,  giving  him  endless  trouble,  and  putting  a  stop  to  the 
refitting  of  the  ships  in  Massachusetts  Bay.  He  now  understood  the 
power  of  his  foes,  and  accordingly  chose  two  hundred  men  to  go  with 
him  on  the  second  expedition.  He  also  determined  to  leave  behind  the 
friendly  savages,  whose  friendship  was  a  very  doubtful  quality.  The 
forces  left  the  beach  that  very  night,  and  began  their  weary  march  up 
the  mountain-side.  It  was  bright  moonlight ;  so  that  the  narrow  moun- 


422  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

tain  paths,  the  fearful  precipices,  the  tangled  jungles,  and  the  swamps 
and  rivers  were  visible  to  the  marching  column.  By  midnight  the  Amer 
icans  found  themselves  perched  on  the  summit  of  a  rocky  peak  overlook 
ing  the  Typee  valley,  from  which  arose  sounds  of  drum-beating,  singing, 
and  loud  shouts  of  revelry.  The  guides  who  had  led  the  American  col 
umn  said  that  the  savages  were  rejoicing  over  their  triumph,  and  were 
calling  upon  their  gods  to  send  rain  and  spoil  the  "Malleekees"  botihies" 
Porter  knew  the  time  was  ripe  for  a  surprise,  and  the  men  were  eager 
to  be  led  against  the  enemy ;  but  the  guides  protested  that  no  mortal 
men  could  descend  the  path  leading  to  the  Typee  village,  at  night,  so 
precipitous  was  the  descent.  The  Americans  were  therefore  forced  to 
wait  patiently  until  morning.  Throwing  themselves  on  the  ground,  the 
weary  sailors  were  soon  asleep,  but  were  waked  up  in  an  hour  by  a  heavy 
burst  of  rain.  They  saw  the  rain  falling  in  sheets,  and  the  sky  banked 
with  black  clouds  that  gave  little  hope  of  a  stoppage.  From  the  valley 
below  rose  the  triumphant  yells  of  the  Typees,  who  were  convinced  that 
their  gods  had  sent  the  shower  to  spoil  the  white  men's  weapons.  And, 
indeed,  the  floods  poured  down  as  though  sent  for  that  very  service ;  so 
that  at  daybreak  the  Americans  found  that  more  than  half  their  powder 
was  spoiled.  To  make  matters  worse,  the  precipitous  path  leading  down 
into  the  valley  was  so  slippery  that  it  would  have  been  madness  to 
attempt  the  descent.  Accordingly  Porter  determined  to  retreat  to  the 
Happah  village,  and  there  wait  for  better  weather.  Before  falling  back, 
however,  he  ordered  a  volley  fired,  to  show  the  savages  that  the  fire-arms 
were  not  yet  useless.  The  noise  of  the  volley  was  the  first  intimation  to 
the  Typees  that  the  Americans  were  so  near  them,  and  their  village  was 
at  once  thrown  into  the  direst  confusion.  Cries  of  surprise  mingled 
with  the  beating  of  drums,  the  blowing  of  horns,  the  shrieks  of  women 
and  children,  and  the  squealing  of  pigs  being  driven  to  places  of  safety. 
In  the  midst  of  the  tumult  the  Americans  retired  to  the  Happah  village, 
where  they  spent  the  remainder  of  that  day  and  the  following  night. 

The  next  morning  dawned  bright  and  cool  after  the  rain  ;  and  the 
Americans  sallied  forth,  determined  to  end  this  annoying  affray  in  short 
order.  They  soon  reached  their  former  station  on  the  cliffs,  and,  looking 
down  upon  the  Typee  territory,  saw  a  beautiful  valley,  cut  up  by  stone 
walls  into  highly  cultivated  farms,  and  dotted  with  picturesque  villages. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  423 


But  though  their  hearts  may  have  been  softened  by  the  sight  of  so  lovely 
a  spot,  so  soon  to  be  laid  desolate,  they  were  soon  nerved  to  their  work 
by  a  party  of  Typees,  who  were  posted  on  the  farther  bank  of  a  river 
that  skirted  the  base  of  the  cliff,  and  were  calling  out  to  the  Americans, 
calling  them  cowards,  and  daring  them  to  come  down  and  fight.  Porter 
gave  the  command  ;  and  the  jackies  were  soon  clambering  down  the  cliffs, 
in  the  face  of  a  rapid  fire  from  their  enemies.  The  bank  of  the  river 
once  gained,  the  Americans  halted  to  rest  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then, 
fording  the  stream,  pushed  forward  straight  for  the  nearest  village.  The 
Typees  hung  upon  the  flank  of  the  advancing  column ;  now  and  then 
making  fierce  charges,  but  always  beaten  back  with  severe  losses.  The 
sailors  suffered  but  little,  and  were  soon  in  possession  of  the  village, 
behind  the  walls  of  which  the  main  body  halted,  while  scouting  parties 
were  sent  out  to  reconnoitre.  After  a  short  halt  at  this  point,  the 
invaders  pushed  forward  to  the  next  village,  and  so  on  up  the  valley, 
burning  each  village  as  soon  as  it  was  captured.  Undismayed  by  their 
continued  reverses,  the  Typees  fought  doggedly,  scornfully  refusing  to 
listen  to  the  peaceful  overtures  made  by  the  American  commander. 
After  marching  three  or  four  miles,  and  fighting  for  every  foot  of  the 
way,  the  Americans  found  themselves  before  an  extensive  village,  which, 
from  its  size,  and  the  strength  of  its  fortifications,  was  evidently  the 
Typee  capital.  Here  the  savages  made  a  last  determined  stand,  but 
to  no  avail.  The  Americans  poured  over  the  wall,  and  were  soon  in 
possession  of  the  town.  The  beauty  of  the  village,  the  regularity  of  its 
streets,  and  the  air  of  comfort  and  civilization  everywhere  apparent,  made 
it  hard  for  Porter  to  give  the  fateful  order  that  should  commit  all  to  the 
flames.  But  his  duty  was  clear,  and  the  order  was  given.  Leaving  the 
blazing  capital  behind  them,  the  sailors  retraced  their  steps  to  the  ships, 
having  completed  the  devastation  of  the  valley  that  a  day  before  was  so 
peaceful,  fertile,  and  lovely.  The  spirit  of  the  Typees  was  thoroughly 
broken  by  this  crushing  blow ;  and  for  the  next  few  days  the  ships  were 
besieged  by  ambassadors  from  all  the  island  tribes,  begging  for  peace. 

Feeling  assured  that  he  should  have  no  further  trouble  with  the 
natives,  Porter  now  exerted  all  his  energies  to  complete  the  repairs  on 
the  ships,  that  he  might  again  take  the  sea.  So  rapidly  did  the  work 
progress,  that  by  the  Qth  of  December  the  " Essex"  and  "Essex  Junior" 


424  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


were  refitted,  and  stocked  with  fresh  provisions  of  hogs,  cocoanuts,  and 
bananas ;  the  "  New  Zealander,"  loaded  with  oil  from  the  other  prizes, 
was  ordered  to  proceed  to  New  York;  while  the  "Greenwich,"  "Sering- 
apatam,"  and  "  Hammond "  were  to  remain  at  the  islands  until  the 
"  Essex "  should  return  for  them.  These  arrangements  being  made, 
the  war-ships  made  ready  to  depart. 

But  now  arose  a  difficulty,  ludicrous  in  its  cause,  but  which  threatened 
to  be  serious  in  its  effects.  The  ships  had  been  lying  in  harbor  for 
about  two  months  ;  and  during  that  time  the  sailors,  with  unlimited  shore 
liberty,  had  made  such  ties  as  bound  them  closely  to  the  native  people. 
The  young  girls  of  the  islands,  with  their  comely  faces  and  fair  com 
plexions,  had  played  sad  havoc  with  the  hearts  of  the  gallant  tars  of  the 
"  Essex  ;  "  and  deep  was  the  grumbling  among  the  sailors  when  they  heard 
that  the  time  had  come  for  them  to  bid  farewell  to  their  sweethearts. 
No  openly  mutinous  demonstration  was  made  ;  but  so  old  a  commander 
could  not  overlook  the  fact  that  some  disaffection  existed  among  his 
crew,  and  a  little  investigation  disclosed  the  trouble.  There  could  be  no 
half-way  measures  adopted  in  the  case,  and  Porter  at  once  gave  orders 
that  all  further  intercourse  with  the  shore  should  cease.  That  very  night 
three  sailors  slipped  into  the  sea,  and  swam  ashore  to  meet  their  sweet 
hearts  ;  but  the  wily  captain  had  stationed  a  patrol  upon  the  beach,  and 
the  three  luckless  Leanders  were  sent  back  to  the  ship  in  irons.  All  the 
next  day  the  native  girls  lined  the  shore  of  the  bay,  and  with  pleading 
gestures  besought  the  captain  to  let  the  sailors  come  ashore,  but  to  no  avail. 
Some  fair  maidens  even  swam  off  to  the  ship,  but  were  gruffly  ordered 
away  by  the  officers.  All  this  was  very  tantalizing  to  the  men,  who 
hung  over  the  bulwarks,  looking  at  the  fair  objects  of  their  adoration. 
But  one  man  only  showed  signs  of  rebellion  against  the  captain's  author 
ity  ;  and  Porter,  calling  him  out  before  the  crew,  rebuked  him,  and  sent 
him  ashore  in  a  native  canoe  :  while  the  rest  of  the  jackies  sprang  into 
the  rigging,  set  the  canvas,  and  the  ship  soon  left  the  island,  with  its 
sorrowing  nymphs,  far  in  her  wake. 

The  two  vessels  turned  their  heads  toward  Valparaiso,  and  made  the 
port  after  an  uneventful  voyage  of  fift-ysix  days.  The  frigate  entered  the 
harbor  at  once,  and  cast  anchor;  while  the  "Essex  Junior"  was  ordered  to 
cruise  about  outside,  keeping  a  close  watch  for  the  enemy's  ships.  The 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  425 

friendship  of  the  people  of  the  town  seemed  as  great  as  during  the  first 
visit  of  the  frigate  to  the  port ;  and  a  series  of  entertainments  was  begun, 
that  culminated  in  a  grand  ball  upon  the  "  Essex  "  on  the  night  of  the  7th 
of  February,  1814.  For  that  one  night  the  officers  of  the  "Essex  Junior'* 
were  absolved  from  their  weary  duty  of  patrolling  the  sea  at  the  mouth 
of  the  harbor.  The  vessel  was  anchored  at  a  point  that  commanded  a 
view  of  the  ocean  ;  and  her  officers,  arrayed  in  the  splendor  of  full  dress, 
betook  themselves  on  board  of  the  frigate.  At  midnight,  after  an  even 
ing  of  dancing  and  gayety,  Lieut.  Downes  left  the  "  Essex,"  and  returned 
to  his  vessel,  which  immediately  weighed  anchor  and  put  to  sea.  The 
festivities  on  the  frigate  continued  a  little  time  longer ;  and  then,  the  last 
ladies  having  been  handed  down  the  gangway,  and  pulled  ashore,  the 
work  of  clearing  away  the  decorations  began.  While  the  ship's  decks 
were  still  strewn  with  flags  and  flowers,  while  the  awnings  still  stretched 
from  stem  to  stern,  and  the  hundreds  of  gay  lanterns  still  hung  in  the 
rigging,  the  "Essex  Junior"  was  seen  coming  into  the  harbor  with  a 
signal  flying.  The  signal  quartermaster  rushed  for  his  book,  and  soon 
announced  that  the  flags  read,  "Two  enemy's  ships  in  sight."  At  this 
moment  more  than  half  the  crew  of  the  "Essex"  were  on  shore;  but  a 
signal  set  at  the  ship's  side  recalled  the  men,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half 
the  ship  was  ready  for  action  ;  while  the  "  Essex  Junior  "  cast  anchor  in 
a  supporting  position. 

The  two  strange  vessels  were  the  "  Cherub "  and  the  "  Phoebe," 
British  men-of-war.  They  rounded  into  the  harbor  about  eight  A.M.,  and 
bore  down  towards  the  American  ships.  The  "  Phoebe,"  the  larger  of 
the  two  Englishmen,  drew  close  to  the  "Essex;"  and  her  commander, 
Capt.  Hillyar,  sprang  upon  the  taffrail,  and  asked  after  Capt.  Porter's 
health.  Porter  responded  courteously ;  and,  noticing  that  the  "  Phoebe " 
was  coming  closer  than  the  customs  of  war-vessels  in  a  neutral  port  per 
mitted,  warned  the  Englishman  to  keep  his  distance,  or  trouble  would 
result.  Hillyar  protested  that  he  meant  no  harm,  but  nevertheless  con 
tinued  his  advance  until  the  two  ships  were  almost  fouled.  Porter  called 
the  boarders  to  the  bow ;  and  they  crowded  forward,  armed  to  the  teeth, 
and  stripped  for  the  fight.  The  "  Phoebe  "  was  in  such  a  position  that  she 
lay  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  "  Essex,"  and  could  not  bring  a  gun  to 
bear  in  her  own  defence.  Hillyar,  from  his  ^osition  on  the  taffrail,  could 


426  BLUE-JACKETS  OF    1812. 

see  the  American  boarders  ready  to  spring  at  the  word  of  command, 
and  the  muzzles  of  the  cannon  ready  to  blow  the  ship  out  of  water. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  he  was  astonished  to  find  the  "  Essex"  so  well 
prepared  for  the  fray,  for  he  had  been  told  that  more  than  half  her 
crew  had  gone  ashore.  Relying  upon  this  information,  he  had  probably 
planned  to  capture  the  "  Essex "  at  her  moorings,  regardless  of  the 
neutrality  of  the  port.  But  he  had  now  brought  himself  into  a  dangerous 
Dosition,  and  Porter  would  have  been  justified  in  opening  fire  at  once. 
But  the  apologies  and  protestations  of  the  British  captain  disarmed  him, 
and  he  unwisely  let  the  "  Phoebe  "  proceed  unmolested. 

In  his  journal,  Farragut  thus  describes  this  incident:  "We  were  al! 
at  quarters,  and  cleared  for  action,  waiting  with  breathless  anxiety  for  the 
command  from  Capt.  Porter  to  board,  when  the  English  captain  appeared, 
standing  on  the  after-gun,  in  a  pea-jacket,  and  in  plain  hearing  said, — 

"'Capt.   Hillyar's  compliments  to  Capt.   Porter,  and  hopes  he  is  well.' 

"  Porter  replied,  '  Very  well,  I  thank  you.  But  I  hope  you  will  not 
come  too  near,  for  fear  some  accident  might  take  place  which  would  be 
disagreeable  to  you.'  And,  with  a  wave  of  his  trumpet,  the  kedge-anchors 
went  up  to  our  yard-arms,  ready  to  grapple  the  enemy. 

"Capt.  Hillyar  braced  back  his  yards,  and  remarked  to  Porter,  that,  if 
he  did  fall  aboard  him,  he  begged  to  assure  the  captain  that  it  would  be 
entirely  accidental. 

"'Well,'  said  Porter,  'you  have  no  business  where  you  are.  If  you 
touch  a  rope-yarn  of  this  ship,  I  shall  board  instantly." 

Notwithstanding  Porter's  forbearance,  the  incident  came  near  leading 
to  a  battle,  through  the  action  of  one  of  the  crew,  who  had  come  off 
from  shore  with  his  brain  rather  hazy  from  heavy  drinking.  This  mai 
was  standing  by  a  gun,  with  a  lighted  brand  in  his  hand,  ready  to  fire 
the  piece,  when  he  thought  he  saw  an  Englishman  grinning  at  him 
through  one  of  the  open  ports  of  the  "Phoebe."  Highly  enraged,  he 
shouted  out,  "  My  fine  fellow,  I'll  soon  stop  your  making  faces ! "  and 
reached  out  to  fire  the  gun  ;  when  a  heavy  blow  from  an  officer,  who 
saw  the  action,  stretched  him  on  the  deck.  Had  that  gun  been  fired, 
nothing  could  have  saved  the  "Phoebe." 

The  two  hostile  ships  cast  anchor  within  long  gun-shot  of  the  Ameri 
cans,  and  seemed  prepared  for  a  long  season  in  port.  For  the  next  few 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  427 


weeks  the  British  and  American  officers  and  seamen  met  frequently  on 
shore ;  and  a  kind  of  friendship  sprang  up  between  them,  although  they 
were  merely  waiting  for  a  favorable  moment  to  begin  a  deadly  strife. 
Some  incidents,  however,  took  place  which  rather  disturbed  the  amicable 
relations  of  the  two  parties.  At  the  masthead  of  the  "  Essex "  floated 
a  flag  bearing  the  motto,  "  Free  Trade  and  Sailors'  Rights."  This 
flag  gave  great  offence  to  the  British,  who  soon  displayed  a  flag  with 
the  inscription,  "  God  and  Country,  British  Sailors'  Best  Rights.  Traitors 
offend  both."  To  this  Americans  responded  with,  "God,  our  Country 
and  Liberty.  Tyrants  offend  them."  Here  the  debate  closed,  and 
seemed  to  arouse  no  unfriendly  feeling ;  for  Porter  and  Hillyar  talked 
it  over  amicably  on  shore.  In  the  course  of  this  conversation,  Porter 
challenged  the  "Phoebe"  to  meet  the  "Essex"  alone;  but  Hillyar  de 
clined  the  proposition.  Shortly  after  this,  the  crews  of  the  hostile  ships 
began  the  practice  of  singing  songs  at  each  other ;  the  Americans  begin 
ning  with  "  Yankee  Doodle,"  while  the  British  retorted  with  "  God  save 
the  King."  Then  the  poets  of  the  forecastle  set  to  work,  and  ground 
out  verses  that  would  prove  particularly  obnoxious  to  the  enemy.  One  of 
the  American  songs  recited  at  full  length  the  capture  of  the  "Guerriere." 
The  character  of  the  poetry  may  be  judged  by  the  first  verse. 

"  Ye  tars  of  our  country,  who  seek  on  the  main 
The  cause  for  the  wrongs  your  country  sustain, 
Rejoice  and  be  merry,  for  bragging  John  Bull 
Has  got  a  sound  drubbing  from  brave  Capt.  Hull." 

The  British  responded  with  triumphant  verses  upon  the  capture  of  the 
•''Chesapeake,"  news  of  which  had  just  reached  Valparaiso.     Their  poetry 

was  quite  as  bad. 

"  Brave  Broke  he  waved  his  sword, 

And  he  cried,  *  Now,  lads,  aboard  ; 
And  we'll  stop  their  singing, 

Yankee  Doodle  Dandy,  O!'" 

Porter  now  wished  to  get  rid  of  some  of  the  prizes  with  which  he  was 
encumbered.  He  could  not  burn  them  in  the  harbor,  and  the  British 
ships  kept  too  close  a  watch  upon  him  to  permit  his  ships  to  leave  the 
harbor  for  an  hour  :  so  he  was  forced  to  wait  many  days  for  an  oppor 
tunity.  On  the  I4th  of  February  the  opportunity  came;  and  the  "Hector" 
15 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 


was  towed  out  to  sea,  and  set  a-fire.  Two  weeks  later,  the  "  Phoebe  " 
came  alone  to  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and,  after  showing  her  motto- 
flag,  hove  to,  and  fired  a  gun  to  windward.  This  Porter  understood  to  be 
a  challenge,  and  he  at  once  put  out  in  the  "Essex."  But  the  "Phoebe" 
had  no  intention  of  entering  a  fair  and  equal  fight  ;  for  she  quickly  joined 
her  consort,  and  the  two  then  chased  the  "  Essex  "  back  to  port.  Much 
talk  and  a  vast  deal  of  correspondence  grew  out  of  this  affair,  which 
certainly  did  not  redound  to  the  credit  of  the  British. 

On  the  28th  of  March  the  wind  blew  with  such  force  that  the  larboard 
cable  of  the  "  Essex  "  parted  ;  and  the  ship,  drifting  before  the  wind, 
dragged  her  starboard  cable  out  to  sea.  Knowing  that  the  British  ships 
were  in  waiting  outside,  Porter  lost  no  time  in  getting  on  sail  and  trying 
to  beat  back  into  the  harbor.  But,  just  as  the  ship  was  rounding  the 
point,  there  came  up  a  heavy  squall,  which  carried  away  the  main  top 
mast,  throwing  several  topmen  into  the  sea.  In  her  disabled  state  the 
frigate  could  not  regain  the  harbor  ;  but  she  ran  into  a  little  cove,  and 
anchored  within  half  pistol-shot  of  the  shore.  Here  she  was  in  neutral 
waters;  and,  had  Capt.  Hillyar  been  a  man  of  his  word,  the  "Essex" 
would  have  been  safe  :  for  that  officer,  on  being  asked  by  Porter  whether 
he  would  respect  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  had  replied  with  much  feel 
ing,  "  You  have  paid  so  much  respect  to  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  that 
I  feel  bound  in  honor  to  respect  it."  But  he  very  quickly  forgot  this 
respect,  when  he  saw  his  enemy  lying  crippled  and  in  his  power,  although 
in  neutral  waters. 

Hardly  had  the  "Essex"  cast  anchor,  when  the  two  British  ships  drew 
near,  their  actions  plainly  showing  that  they  intended  to  attack  the  crippled 
frigate.  The  "  Essex  "  was  prepared  for  action,  the  guns  beat  to  quarters  ; 
and  the  men  went  to  their  places  coolly  and  bravely,  though  each  felt  at 
his  heart  that  he  was  going  into  a  hopeless  fight.  The  midshipmen  had 
hardly  finished  calling  over  the  quarter-lists,  to  see  that  every  man  was  at 
his  station,  when  the  roar  of  the  cannon  from  the  British  ships  announced 
the  opening  of  the  action.  The  "  Phoebe  "  had  taken  up  a  position 
under  the  stern  of  the  American  frigate,  and  pounded  away  with  her  long 
eighteens  ;  while  the  "Essex"  could  hardly  get  a  gun  to  bear  in  return. 
The  "Cherub"  tried  her  fortune  on  the  bow,  but  was  soon  driven  from 
that  position,  and  joined  her  consort.  The  two  kept  up  a  destructive 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  429 


fire,  until  Porter  got  three  long  guns  out  of  the  cabin-windows,  and  drove 
the  enemy  away.  After  repairing  damages,  the  British  took  up  a  position 
just  out  of  range  of  the  "Essex's"  carronades,  and  began  a  rapid  and 
effective  fire  from  their  long  eighteens. 

Such  an  action  as  this  was  very  trying  to  the  crew  of  the  "  Essex." 
The  carronades  against  which  Porter  had  protested  when  his  ship  was 
armed  were  utterly  useless  against  an  enemy  who  used  such  cautious 
tactics.  On  the  deck  of  the  frigate  men  were  falling  on  every  side.  One 
shot  entered  a  port,  and  killed  four  men  who  stood  at  a  gun,  taking  off 
the  heads  of  the  last  two.  The  crash  and  roar  of  the  flying  shots  were 
incessant.  As  the  guns  became  crippled  for  lack  of  men,  the  junior  officers 
took  a  hand  in  all  positions.  Farragut  writes,  "  I  performed  the  duty  of 
captain's  aid,  quarter-gunner,  powder-boy,  and,  in  fact,  did  every  thing 
that  was  required  of  me.  .  .  .  When  my  services  were  not  required  for 
other  purposes,  I  generally  assisted  in  working  a  gun  ;  would  run  and 
bring  powder  from  the  boys,  and  send  them  back  for  more,  until  the 
captain  wanted  me  to  carry  a  message  ;  and  this  continued  to  occupy  me 
during  the  action."  Once  during  the  action  a  midshipman  came  running 
up  to  Porter,  and  reported  that  a  gunner  had  deserted  his  post.  Porter's 
reply  was  to  turn  to  Farragut  (the  lad  was  only  twelve  years  old),  and 
say,  "Do  your  duty,  sir."  The  boy  seized  a  pistol,  and  ran  away  to  find 
the  coward,  and  shoot  him  in  his  tracks.  But  the  gunner  had  slipped 
overboard,  and  made  his  way  to  the  shore,  and  so  escaped. 

After  the  "  Essex "  had  for  some  time  suffered  from  the  long-range 
fire  of  the  enemy,  Capt.  Porter  determined  to  make  sail,  and  try  to  close 
with  his  foes.  The  rigging  had  been  so  badly  shot  away  that  the  flying 
jib  was  the  only  sail  that  could  be  properly  set.  With  this,  and  with 
the  other  sails  hanging  loose  from  the  yards,  the  "  Essex "  ran  down 
upon  the  British,  and  made  such  lively  play  with  her  carronades,  that  the 
"Cherub"  was  forced  to  haul  off  for  repairs,  and  the  tide  of  war  seemed 
to  be  setting  in  favor  of  the  Americans.  But,  though  the  gallant  blue 
jackets  fought  with  desperation,  their  chances  for  success  were  small. 
The  decks  were  strewn  with  dead,  the  cock-pit  was  full,  and  the  enemy's 
si  ot  were  constantly  adding  to  the  number  of  dead  and  dying.  Young 
Farragut,  who  had  been  sent  below  after  some  gun-primers,  was  coming 
i  p  the  ladder,  when  a  man  standing  at  the  opening  of  the  hatchway  was 


43°  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

truck  full  in  the  face  by  a  cannon-ball,  and  fell  back,  carrying  the  lad 
vith  him.  The  mutilated  body  fell  full  upon  the  boy,  who  lay  for  a  time 
.mconscious  ;  then,  jumping  to  his  feet,  ran,  covered  with  blood,  to  the 
quarter-deck.  Capt.  Porter  saw  him,  and  asked  if  he  was  wounded.  "  I 
believe  not,  sir,"  answered  the  midshipman.  "Then,"  said  the  captain, 
"where  are  the  primers?"  Farragut  remembered  his  errand,  and  dashed 
below  to  execute  it.  When  he  emerged  the  second  time,  he  saw  the  captain 
(his  adopted  father)  fall,  and  running  up  asked  if  he  was  wounded.  "  I  be 
lieve  not,  my  son,"  was  the  response;  "but  I  felt  a  blow  on  the  top  of  my 
head."  lie  had  probably  been  knocked  down  by  the  wind  of  a  passing  shot. 

But  the  end  of  the  action  was  now  near.  Dreadful  havoc  had  been 
made  in  the  ranks  of  both  officers  and  men.  The  cock-pit  would  hold 
no  more  wounded  ;  and  the  shots  were  beginning  to  penetrate  its  walls, 
killing  the  sufferers  waiting  for  the  surgeon's  knife.  Lieut.  McKnight 
was  the  only  commissioned  officer  on  duty.  The  ship  had  been  several 
times  on  fire,  and  the  magazine  was  endangered.  Finally,  the  carpenter 
reported  that  her  bottom  was  so  cut  up  that  she  could  float  but  a  little 
while  longer.  On  learning  this,  Porter  gave  the  order  for  the  colors  to  be 
hauled  down,  which  was  done.  The  enemy,  however,  kept  up  their  deadly 
fire  for  ten  minutes  after  the  "  Essex  "  had  struck. 

David  Farragut  narrates  some  interesting  incidents  of  the  surrender, 
lie  was  sent  by  the  captain  to  find  and  destroy  the  signal  book  before 
the  British  should  come  aboard  ;  and,  this  having  been  done,  he  went 
to  the  cock-pit  to  look  after  his  friends.  Here  he  found  Lieut.  Cornell 
terribly  wounded.  When  Farragut  spoke  to  him,  he  said,  "  O  Davy,  I 
fear  it's  all  up  with  me  !  "  and  died  soon  after.  The  doctor  said,  that,  had 
this  officer  been  operated  upon  an  hour  before,  his  life  might  have  been 
saved  ;  but  when  the  surgeons  proposed  to  drop  another  man,  and  attend 
to  him,  he  replied,  "  No,  no,  doctor,  none  of  that.  Fair  play's  a  jewel. 
One  man's  life  is  as  dear  as  another's ;  I  would  not  cheat  any  poor  fellow 
out  of  his  turn."  Surely  history  nowhere  records  more  noble  generosity. 
Soon  after  this,  when  Farragut  was  standing  on  the  deck,  a  little  negro 
boy  came  running  up  to  inquire  about  his  master,  Lieut.  Wilmer,  who 
had  been  knocked  over  by  a  shot.  On  learning  his  master's  fate,  he 
leaped  over  the  taffrail  into  the  sea,  and  was  drowned. 

After   the  "Essex"  had    been    formally   surrendered,  boats   were   sent 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  43 l 

to  convey  the  prisoners  to  the  British  ships.  In  one  of  these  Farragut 
was  carried  to  the  "  Phcebe,"  and  there  fell  into  a  second  battle,  in  which 
the  victory  remained  with  him.  "  I  was  so  mortified  at  our  capture  that 
I  could  not  refrain  from  tears,"  he  writes.  "  While  in  this  uncomfortable 
state,  I  was  aroused  by  hearing  a  young  reefer  call  out,  — 

"'A  prize!  a  prize!     Ho,  boys,  a  fine  grunter,  by  Jove.' 

"  I  saw  at  once  that  he  had  under  his  arm  a  pet  pig  belonging  to 
our  ship,  called  '  Murphy.'  I  claimed  the  animal  as  my  own. 

'''Ah,'  said  he,  'but  you  are  a  prisoner,  and  your  pig  also!' 

"'We  always  respect  private  property,'  I  replied;  and,  as  I  had  seized 
hold  of  '  Murphy,'  I  determined  not  to  let  go  unless  '  compelled  by 
superior  force.' 

"This  was  fun  for  the  oldsters,  who  immediately  sung  out, — 

"  '  Go  it,  my  little  Yankee.  If  you  can  thrash  Shorty,  you  can  have 
your  pig.' 

"'Agreed,'  cried  I. 

"A  ring  was  formed  in  an  open  space,  and  at  it  we  went.  I  soon 
found  that  my  antagonist's  pugilistic  education  did  not  come  up  to  mine, 
In  fact,  he  was  no  match  for  me,  and  was  compelled  to  give  up  the 
pig.  So  I  took  Master  Murphy  under  my  arm,  feeling  that  I  had  in 
some  degree  wiped  out  the  disgrace  of  the  defeat." 

When  the  British  ships  with  their  prize  returned  to  the  quiet  waters 
of  the  harbor,  and  began  to  take  account  of  damages,  it  was  found  that 
the  "Essex"  had  indeed  fought' a  losing  fight.  On  the  "Phoebe,"  but 
four  men  were  killed,  and  seven  wounded;  on  the  "Cherub,"  one  killed 
and  three  wounded,  made  up  the  list  of  casualties.  But  on  the  "Essex" 
were  fifty-eight  killed,  and  sixty-six  wounded  ;  while  an  immense  number 
of  men  were  missing,  who  may  have  escaped  to  the  shore  or  may  have 
sunk  beneath  the  waves.  Certain  it  is  some  swimmers  reached  shore, 
though  sorely  wounded.  One  man  had  rushed  on  deck  with  his  clothing 
all  aflame,  and  swam  ashore,  though  scarcely  a  square  inch  could  be 
found  on  his  body  which  was  not  burned.  Another  seaman  had  sixteen 
or  eighteen  scales  of  iron  chipped  from  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  driven 
into  his  legs,  yet  he  reached  the  shore  in  safety. 

After  some  delay,  the  "  Essex  Junior "  was  disarmed ;  and  the  pris 
oners,  having  given  their  paroles,  were  placed  on  board  her,  with  a  letter 


432  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

of  safe-conduct  from  Capt.  Hillyar  to  prevent  their  capture  by  any 
British  man-of-war  in  whose  path  they  might  fall.  But  this  letter  availed 
them  little  ;  for,  after  an  uneventful  voyage  to  the  northward,  the  "  Essex 
Junior "  found  herself  brought  to  by  a  shot  from  the  British  frigate 
"  Saturn,"  off  Sandy  Hook.  The  boarding-officer  took  Capt.  Hillyar's 
letter  to  the  commander  of  the  "  Saturn,"  who  remarked  that  Hillyar 
had  no  authority  to  make  any  such  agreement,  and  ordered  the  "  Essex 
Junior"  to  remain  all  night  under  the  lee  of  the  British  ship.  Capt. 
Porter  was  highly  indignant,  and  handed  his  sword  to  the  British  officer, 
saying  that  he  considered  himself  a  prisoner.  But  the  Englishman 
declined  the  sword,  and  was  about  to  return  to  his  ship,  when  Porter 
said,  "Tell  the  captain  that  I  am  his  prisoner,  and  do  not  consider  my 
self  any  longer  bound  by  my  contract  with  Capt.  Hillyar,  which  he  has 
violated;  and  I  shall  act  accordingly."  By  this  Porter  meant  that  he  now 
considered  himself  absolved  from  his  parole,  and  free  to  escape  honorably 
if  an  opportunity  should  offer. 

Accordingly  at  seven  o'clock  the  following  morning,  a  boat  was 
stealthily  lowered  from  the  "Essex  Junior;"  and  Porter,  descending  into 
it,  started  for  the  shore,  leaving  a  message,  that,  since  British  officers 
showed  so  little  regard  for  each  other's  honor,  he  had  no  desire  to  trust 
himself  in  their  hands.  The  boat  had  gone  some  distance  before  she 
was  sighted  by  the  lookout  on  the  "Saturn,"  for  the  hull  of  the  "Essex 
Junior "  hid  her  from  sight.  As  spon  as  the  flight  was  noticed,  the 
frigate  made  sail  in  chase,  and  seemed  likely  to  overhaul  the  audacious 
fugitives,  when  a  thick  fog  set  in,  under  cover  of  which  Porter  reached 
Babylon,  L.I.,  nearly  sixty  miles  distant.  In  the  mean  time,  the  "Essex 
Junior,"  finding  herself  hidden  from  the  frigate  by  the  fog-bank,  set  sail, 
and  made  for  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  She  was  running  some  nine 
knots  an  hour  when  the  fog  showed  signs  of  lifting ;  and  she  came  up 
into  the  wind,  that  the  suspicion  of  the  British  might  not  be  aroused 
As  it  happened,  the  "  Saturn "  was  close  alongside  when  the  fog  lifted, 
and  her  boat  soon  came  to  the  American  ship.  An  officer,  evidently 
very  irate,  bounded  upon  the  deck,  and  said  brusquely,  — 

"  You  must  have  been  drifting  very  fast.  We  have  been  making  nine 
knots  an  hour,  and  yet  here  you  are  alongside." 

"So  it  appears,"  responded  the  American  lieutenant  coolly. 


BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812.  433 

"  \Ve  saw  a  boat  leave  you,  some  time  ago,"  continued  the  English 
man.  "I  suppose  Capt.  Porter  went  in  it?" 

"Yes.     You  are  quite  right." 

"  And  probably  more  of  you  will  run  away,  unless  I  cut  away  your 
boats  from  the  davits." 

"  Perhaps  that  would  be  a  good  plan  for  you  to  adopt." 

"  And  I  would  do  it  very  quickly,  if  the  question  rested  with  me." 

"You  infernal  puppy,"  shouted  the  American  officer,  now  thoroughly 
aroused,  "  if  you  have  any  duty  to  do,  do  it ;  but,  if  you  insult  me  further, 
I'll  throw  you  overboard  !  " 

With  a  few  inarticulate  sounds,  the  Englishman  stepped  into  his  boat, 
and  was  pulled  back  to  the  "  Saturn,"  whence  soon  returned  a  second 
boat,  bearing  an  apology  for  the  boarding-officer's  rudeness.  The  boarders 
then  searched  all  parts  of  the  ship,  mustered  her  crew  on  the  plea  that 
it  contained  British  deserters,  and  finally  released  her,  after  having  inflicted 
every  possible  humiliation  upon  her  officers.  The  "Essex  Junior"  then 
proceeded  to  New  York,  where  she  was  soon  joined  by  Capt.  Porter. 
The  whole  country  united  in  doing  honor  to  the  officers,  overlooking  the 
defeat  which  closed  their  cruise,  and  regarding  only  the  persistent  bravery 
with  which  they  had  upheld  the  cause  of  the  United  States  in  the  far-off 
waters  of  the  Pacific. 

Before  closing  the  account  of  Porter's  famous  cruise,  the  story  of  the 
ill-fortune  which  befell  Lieut.  Gamble  should  be  related.  This  officer,  it 
will  be  remembered,  was  left  at  Nookaheevah  with  the  prizes  "  Green 
wich/'  "  Seringapatam,"  and  "Hammond."  Hardly  had  the  frigate  disap 
peared  below  the  horizon,  when  the  natives  began  to  grow  unruly ;  and 
Gamble  was  forced  to  lead  several  armed  expeditions  against  them.  Then 
the  sailors  under  his  charge  began  to  show  signs  of  mutiny.  He  found 
himself  almost  without  means"  of  enforcing  his  authority,  and  the  disaffec 
tion  spread  daily.  The  natives,  incited  by  the  half-savage  Englishman 
who  had  been  found  upon  the  island,  began  to  make  depredations  upon 
the  live-stock  ;  while  the  women  would  swim  out  to  the  ships  by  night, 
and  purloin  bread,  aided  by  their  lovers  among  the  crews.  To  the  lieu 
tenant's  remonstrances,  the  natives  replied  that  "  Opotee  "  was  not  coming 
back,  and  they  would  do  as  they  chose ;  while  the  sailors  heard  his  orders 
with  ill-concealed  contempt,  and  made  but  a  pretext  of  obeying  them.  In 


434  BLUE-JACKETS   OF    1812. 

the  middle  of  April  three  sailors  stole  a  boat  from  the  "Greenwich,"  and, 
stocking  it  well  with  ammunition  and  provisions,  deserted,  and  were  never 
again  seen.  One  month  later,  mutiny  broke  out  in  its  worst  form.  Lieut 
Gamble  and  his  two  midshipmen,  being  upon  the  "  Seringapatam,"  were 
knocked  down  by  the  sailors,  gagged,  bound,  and  thrust  into  the  hold 
The  mutineers  then  went  ashore,  spiked  the  guns  in  the  fort,  and  then, 
hoisting  the  British  colors  over  the  captured  ship,  set  sail.  Lieut.  Gamb-e 
was  badly  wounded  in  the  foot  by  a  pistol-shot  fired  by  one  of  his  guards. 
Notwithstanding  his  wound,  he,  with  the  two  lieutenants  and  two  loyal 
seamen,  was  turned  adrift  in  an  open  boat.  After  long  and  painful  exertions, 
they  reached  the  shore,  and  returned  to  the  bay,  where  the  "Greenwich" 
still  lay  at  anchor.  The  mutineers,  thirteen  of  whom  were  Englishmen  who 
had  enlisted  in  the  American  service,  steered  boldly  out  to  sea,  and  were 
nevermore  heard  of.  The  half-savage  Englishman,  Wilson,  was  supposed 
to  be  at  the  bottom  of  this  uprising,  and  some  days  later  a  boat's  crew 
from  the  "Greenwich"  went  ashore  to  capture  him.  Soon  after,  Gamble, 
anxiously  watching  the  shore,  saw  a  struggle  upon  the  beach,  the  natives 
rushing  down  on  all  sides,  the  boat  overturned  in  the  surf,  and  two  white 
men  swimming  towards  the  ship,  making  signals  of  distress.  Mr.  Clapp, 
with  two  men,  sprang  into  a  boat,  and  put  off  to  the  aid  of  the  swim 
mers,  leaving  Gamble  alone  on  the  ship.  Two  large  canoes  loaded  with 
savages  then  left  the  beach,  and  swiftly  bore  down  towards  the  "Essex;" 
but  Gamble,  lamed  though  he  was,  seized  a  lighted  brand,  and  hobbled 
along  the  deck  of  the  ship,  firing  her  guns  with  such  effect  that  the 
savages  were  driven  back,  the  beach  cleared,  and  Mr.  Clapp  enabled  to 
save  the  two  struggling  men.  When  the  boat  returned  to  the  ship,  it 
was  learned  that  Midshipman  Feltus  and  five  men  had  been  basely 
murdered  by  the  savages.  There  were  now  left  but  seven  Americans  ; 
and  of  these  but  two  were  well,  and  fit  for  duty.  Setting  the  "Green 
wich  "  on  fire,  this  little  band  boarded  the  "  Hammond,"  and  made  their 
way  to  sea.  But  between  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  Honolulu  they  fell  in 
with  the  "Cherub,"  by  whom  they  were  captured,  and  kept  prisoners  for 
nine  months,  when,  peace  being  declared,  they  were  released. 

So   ended    the   last    incident    of    the    gallant    cruise    of    the    "Essex." 
History  has  few  more  adventurous  tales  to  relate. 


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N9  540877 

E182 

Abbot,  W.J.  A12 

The   naval  history  v.l 

o^  the  United   States. 


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